Season

Squad update from the Volkspark as Nordderby looms

The Rothosen returned to the training pitches on Tuesday, with all eyes undoubtedly on the upcoming derby away at SV Werder Bremen.

Some weeks just stick out on the calendar months ahead of time. This is one such week – the Nordderby is approaching. On Saturday (18th April), HSV will face off against rivals SV Werder Bremen, with kick-off at the Weserstadion set for 15:30 CEST. Having experienced the ecstasy of a 3-2 comeback win over their northern neighbours in the reverse fixture at the Volksparkstadion, the Rothosen will of course be hoping to once again get the better of Werder in another derby day clash. With this goal clearly in mind, head coach Merlin Polzin and the HSV squad returned to the training ground on Tuesday afternoon to begin preparations for the historic fixture.

The palpable anticipation was clear to see for anybody watching on during the team’s public training session in the Volkspark this afternoon. “As far as I can assess from having watched the lads training today, they’re not getting bogged down on what happened this weekend, rather focusing on what we can do this coming Saturday. We want to take our solid work in training and turn it into a good performance in Bremen. If we can do that, we’ll be playing with the right kind of intensity this weekend,” said Polzin when speaking to journalists following the training session.

Five Rothosen training individually, duo not involved

23 outfielders and four goalkeepers strode out for the first training session as we begin counting down the days until the Nordderby. Also present for the session was former HSV player Khalid Boulahrouz (66 competitive appearances), who paid a visit to his old stomping ground, the Volksparkstadion.

Luka Vušković was absent from today’s training with a knock, while shot-stopper Sander Tangvik was off due to illness. Meanwhile, five HSV players worked through individual sessions with rehab coach Sebastian Capel today: Albert Sambi Lokonga, Bakery Jatta, Jean-Luc Dompe, Alexander Rössing-Lelesiit and captain Yussuf Poulsen. “Luka’s been struggling with his knee since the knock. We’re taking it day by day there. He’s been through thorough medical examinations and is receiving first-class treatment. We’ll try everything. It might be tight, but I can’t say for certain yet whether he’ll manage Saturday or not. We’re taking each day as it comes with Sambi as well. He’s expected to feature in the matchday squad in order to contribute as much as he can.”

Speaking about the upcoming game, the coach said: “Considering the derby aspect of things, it’s a different kind of game to any other this season. It’s all about being there physically, but also making sure you have the right mindset for the occasion.” The Hamburg native explained that the HSV team would spend the week focusing on a number of themes, including: “what has defined us in this Bundesliga season and what will be crucial for this game.”