Team

Preparation for Regensburg: Letschert back in contention

22 men were on the pitch on Wednesday morning, as the focus turned from another successful home game to a long trip down to Bavaria and the town of Regensburg. Dieter Hecking was also back on the sideline leading the drills.

After Dieter Hecking made his way back home on Sunday due to a loss in the family, HSV’s manager was back on the sideline on Wednesday for the first session in preparation for the away game against SSV Jahn Regensburg on Saturday (28th September). Aside from long-term injury candidates Ewerton (syndesmosis tear), Christoph Moritz (broken collarbone) and Jan Gyamerah (broken fibula), the whole squad is available for selection this coming weekend.

Timo Letschert (l.) has fought his way back into contention after pulling a ligament in his knee in late July.

Letschert’s trust is back

With the glorious late summer sunshine seen against Aue on Sunday a thing of the past, the rain had really set in on Wednesday, with both sessions seeing a constant drizzle, something that new players in Hamburg will have to get used to, one of them being Timo Letschert. The 26-year-old centre back has not been able to train with the first team for an extended period of time since his move from Sassuolo, after pulling a ligament in his right knee shortly after signing in Hamburg in late July. The Dutchman’s right foot is now free from pain and the trust in his knee is growing day-by-day. At last week’s press conference, manager Hecking confirmed that the former Utrecht defender had shown signs of an imminent comeback, and that he could be in the squad as soon as the game in Regensburg. With the trip to Bavaria now only a few days away, Hecking once again has a number of squad selection headaches, with only 20 spots to fill at the Continental Arena on Saturday at 1:00pm.