Who will take their chance? Three HSV players to watch this summer | OneFootball

Slowly but surely, HSV’s preseason preparations are picking up speed. After the opener in Helsingør, Denmark, and a subsequent week of training at the Volkspark, the first real tough test of the summer awaits on Saturday evening.

At 7 p.m., the Rothosen will visit Austrian record champions SK Rapid Vienna before heading straight to their training camp in Tyrol. Among other things, a friendly against relegated Bundesliga side 1. FC Heidenheim (July 25, 1:30 p.m.) is on the schedule there.

For coach Merlin Polzin, the coming days are therefore hugely important. It is not just about rehearsing initial patterns of play and preparing the team for the new season. There are also still numerous squad questions to be answered. Some players are fighting for their future, others want to stake their claim for bigger roles. Three professionals are especially in focus.

Fabio Baldé: A new chance in an unfamiliar position?

Fabio Baldé has now been part of HSV’s professional squad for two years. However, the 20-year-old has yet to make his final breakthrough. Over the past two seasons, he has started only eight matches. Overall, he has recorded two goals and four assists.

Even so, the Portuguese U20 international already has a considerable market value of five million euros. The reason: Baldé brings exceptional athletic tools, can be used flexibly, and is also on the international radar thanks to his performances for the national team. Accordingly, it is no surprise that other clubs keep showing interest. In winter, RSC Anderlecht are said to have submitted an offer, and Baldé has also repeatedly been linked with clubs from Portugal.

Photo: IMAGO

That does not mean a departure is a foregone conclusion, though. As long as no attractive multi-million offer comes in, Polzin plans to keep working with his protégé. The most intriguing question is his position. According to the Hamburger Abendblatt, the HSV coach is currently testing Baldé on the right flank.

HSV are still looking for a long-term top solution there and hope they may have found one in Elias Baum from Eintracht Frankfurt. Baldé, however, could establish himself as a serious challenger and move ahead of Bakery Jatta in the internal pecking order. On paper at least, his physique and immense pace make him well suited for the role. Whether the experiment also works under match conditions should become clear in the upcoming friendlies — provided Baldé, who was recently carrying a slight knock, is fit again in time.

Louis Lemke: HSV’s biggest jewel is knocking on the door

Hardly any youth player is currently generating as much excitement as Louis Lemke. The 16-year-old is regarded as the biggest talent in the Rothosen’s academy. Last season, the left-back was already included in the senior squad twice. In the 3–2 win over SC Freiburg, he came on shortly before the end and thereby became the youngest Bundesliga player in HSV history.

Alongside his talent, Lemke has another trump card: his position. Highly gifted left-backs are few and far between, both on the domestic and international market. The Germany U17 international, who has already scored three goals in nine international appearances, extended his contract until 2028 last October.

Photo: IMAGO

Because Miro Muheim is still on vacation after Switzerland’s World Cup exit and Noah Katterbach has left the club for Eintracht Braunschweig, Lemke is likely to get plenty of playing time in preseason. He could even be in the starting lineup against both Rapid Vienna and Heidenheim.

HSV want to and will continue to develop the teenager carefully. Even so, there are many signs that Lemke will be part of the matchday squad far more often next season than he was last year.

Rayan Philippe: Love at second sight?

Rayan Philippe’s first HSV season had its ups and downs. With five goals, the Frenchman still finished joint third in the club’s internal scoring chart, behind loanees Fabio Vieira and Luka Vuskovic. But neither the player himself nor the club are likely to have been truly satisfied with their first year together.

While Philippe was still a regular starter in the first half of the season, he gradually lost importance in the second half. He made only three more starts. He failed to score at all in the final three and a half months of the campaign. In the away match at Wolfsburg (2–1), he was even left out of the squad for disciplinary reasons. In general, however, the 25-year-old enjoys a good reputation. Philippe is considered professional, team-oriented, and hardworking in training. That is why both sides are hoping for a successful second season together.

Photo: IMAGO

The conditions for that could hardly be better at the moment. After the departures of Ransford Königsdörffer and Robert Glatzel, HSV are thinly staffed in attack. On top of that, Otto Stange is still on vacation after the U19 European Championship, while Alexander Rössing-Lelesiit is working on his comeback following an ankle injury. No further attacking signings have arrived so far either.

Philippe will therefore inevitably get plenty of minutes in the upcoming friendlies. Although he was often used on the wing last season, he feels most comfortable as a second striker. That is exactly where he could now get the chance to make a lasting case for bigger responsibilities and climb back up in Polzin’s estimation.

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