HSV sweat on Vuskovic: Polzin rates his derby chances! | OneFootball

HSV’s major anxiety over Luka Vuskovic continues. Will the defensive leader be fit again in time for the northern derby against Werder Bremen?

Unsurprisingly, head coach Merlin Polzin had to face this question at the matchday press conference. However, the 35-year-old could not provide a clear answer. “Luka is currently in the rehab process with his knee problems. We’ll see how things look tomorrow after training,” Polzin explained.

As on the previous days, Vuskovic was once again not on the training pitch with his teammates on Thursday. Instead, the Croatian worked hard on his comeback with rehab coach Sebastian Capel. According to Polzin, it is mainly about “specific exercises.” “We’ve been able to increase the workload step by step.” In any case, there is no need to worry about Vuskovic’s general fitness, “because he is in top condition.”

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Will HSV take “a small risk” with Vuskovic?

However, these statements do not amount to any guarantee that he will play. Asked about the chances of him featuring in the derby, Polzin replied: “I can’t give a percentage because we have a responsibility for the player’s health. The season continues after this game, and Luka remains an important part of our team.”

This likely means the HSV coach is referring both to the four remaining Bundesliga matches and to his player’s probable World Cup participation with Croatia.

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“Still, we are prepared to maybe take a small risk in this game,” Polzin admitted, adding: “We will do everything we can to make sure he is involved.”

The same currently applies to Sambi Lokonga, who is also carrying a knock. Polzin said of the Belgian: “We were able to increase his workload this week as well, and we’ll take another look tomorrow.” Jean-Luc Dompé, however, is almost certain to miss out. The left winger, who was already struggling with foot problems, has “also fallen ill.” It is also still too early for Yussuf Poulsen and Alexander Røssing-Lelesiit to feature in the derby.

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