Kovac on Yan Couto: Squad update before Bundesliga kick-off | OneFootball

Things get serious on Saturday. Borussia Dortmund will kick off the 2025/26 Bundesliga season with an away match against FC St. Pauli (August 23, 6:30 p.m.). “Pauli performed well at home last season,” says Niko Kovač (53). Therefore, “it won’t be an easy game.”

Most still remember the scene from the DFB Cup match at Rot-Weiss Essen (1:0) last Monday (August 18) all too well. Shortly before the end of regular time, Kelsey Owusu (21) brought down BVB pro Yan Couto (23) with a stretched leg. The scene looked nasty. A more serious injury seemed entirely possible.

But Kovač gave the all-clear at Thursday’s press conference. “Yan Couto was already able to take part in quite a bit today,” reported the head coach. The Brazilian is still wearing a bandage around his knee, “but it looks surprisingly good,” the football coach said with relief.

Julian Ryerson’s participation is questionable. The 27-year-old right-back already missed the cup tie in Essen. A blow to his calf is “still causing him problems,” Kovač reported. There has been “no improvement yet.”

To hold their own at the Kiezklub, his team “needs to be physically present,” demanded the BVB coach. St. Pauli is characterized by “very fast vertical play,” going “straight into depth.” Kovač emphasized: “We have to prepare for that, but I am sure we will be ready.”

High Praise for Guirassy

Preparation for the new Bundesliga season was made more difficult by participation in the Club World Cup. Dortmund only played their last match on July 5, when they were knocked out 2-3 by Real Madrid in the quarterfinals.

“Within three weeks, the boys haven’t been able to reach their maximum load potential,” Kovač explained the challenges in preparation. “That will certainly take six to eight weeks,” the Berlin-born coach added.

Once again in Essen, Serhou Guirassy became the match-winner. The 29-year-old goal-getter is picking up in the new season right where he left off last season. “We’re glad to have him,” the 53-year-old reaffirmed the importance of the Guinean. “I’ve often emphasized that he’s a kind of life insurance for us. Not just because he scores goals, but also because he defends very actively.”

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