Because of Muheim ban: HSV backup suddenly important again? | OneFootball

Against FC Augsburg, HSV picked up their seventh red card of the season. That puts the Rothosen clear at the top of the league in this category.

In the 1-1 draw against the Fuggerstadt side, it was ironically ever-present Miro Muheim who was sent off after bringing down Anton Kade with a professional foul. “I didn’t mean to commit the foul. I fell on top of him,” Muheim explained afterward. The Swiss defender described the situation as follows: “I have the ball, want to clear it, and don’t hit it properly. Then he runs into it.”

Even so, there is no doubt whatsoever that referee Deniz Aytekin made the correct decision. The consequence: in the upcoming matches against VfB Stuttgart (12 April) and Werder Bremen (18 April), HSV will have to do without their first-choice left-back, who has featured in 27 of 28 games.

Photo: Getty Images

HSV: Three candidates for Muheim’s role

But who could replace Muheim? Noah Katterbach, his nominal backup, no longer plays any sporting role and is almost certain to leave the club in the summer. Merlin Polzin is also unlikely to rely on him in the coming weeks.

That means William Mikelbrencis has the best chance of taking over Muheim’s role. The young Frenchman already moved into that position in the closing stages against Augsburg. In the 2-2 draw against FC Bayern, he even delivered what was probably his best performance in an HSV shirt on the left side.

Nur die Raute – All the news about HSV

The right flank, which would then become vacant, has three alternatives. But both Bakery Jatta and Nicolas Capaldo missed the past matches and are likely to be considered primarily for a place on the bench against Stuttgart.

That leaves only Giorgi Gocholeishvili. After a strong start to the season, the Donetsk loanee gradually slipped more and more into a backup role. In the last 14 games, he has been in the starting eleven only once. In the challenging away match in Stuttgart, Gocholeishvili could therefore get the chance to show himself again over a longer stretch — and possibly even make a case for a permanent transfer after the season. The purchase option is around four million euros.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.