Ready for Gladbach? Polzin upbeat about Dompé and Poulsen! | OneFootball

Due to injuries, Merlin Polzin must do without four offensive players in Pirmasens. However, two players are close to making a return.

The competitive start at FK Pirmasens is associated with a complicated personnel situation for HSV. A total of four players will not be available on Saturday afternoon (1 p.m.) in Saarland. Head coach Merlin Polzin confirmed that Jean-Luc Dompé, Yussuf Poulsen, Immanuel Pherai, and Bakery Jatta will not be fit to play.

However, especially with a view to the Bundesliga start at Borussia Mönchengladbach (August 24), there are glimmers of hope. "Poulsen is making good progress and Jean-Luc is also ahead of schedule. There is a chance that they will fully participate in training next week and be available to us in Gladbach," Polzin said confidently at the press conference on Thursday.

More patience is required for Pherai (inner ligament tear in the knee) and Jatta (muscular problems). The return of the two is expected only in about three weeks and thus after the first international break of this season. After the second Bundesliga matchday, the national teams will get involved in the game. What is always a nuisance for many fans could therefore benefit HSV in this case.

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Polzin raves about Dompé's replacement

Dompé's absence, meanwhile, opens up a great opportunity for a youngster: Alexander Røssing-Lelesiit. The Norwegian U19 international, signed for 2.8 million euros from Lillestrøm SK in the winter, was one of the winners of the preparation and was already in the starting lineup in the last test match against RCD Mallorca (0:2). In Pirmasens, the teenager is likely to get another chance from the start.

Polzin praised his talent once again in the highest terms but also warned against too high expectations. "It is certainly the case that Alex brings a lot of joy to everyone. He is a very interesting player who has the quality to assert himself in one-on-one situations. We really like the mix of dribbling strength and deep runs," the Hamburg native raved.

And yet: "There are a lot of things he still needs to work on and with which I am not yet in agreement. I will not send him ahead and put him under pressure."

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