SV Darmstadt 98’s fourth Bundesliga relegation in the club’s history could be finally sealed this weekend. Torsten Lieberknecht wants to say goodbye to the league with his head held high and holds his team accountable.
Wants to say goodbye to the league with his head held high: Torsten Lieberknecht. Getty Images
Team captain Fabian Holland’s serious knee injury continued to have an impact on Thursday. Torsten Lieberknecht assured that the 33-year-old has the full support of the club after his cruciate and medial ligament rupture until he returns to the pitch.
However, Holland has not yet been able to undergo surgery because he still has a wound in the area where the tendon for the cruciate ligament replacement will be removed, which is yet to heal. He will be out for months and well into the coming season.
Mehlem back on the training pitch
However, there is good news from other injured people: midfielder Marvin Mehlem is now making his first attempts to walk on the pitch again after his second broken fibula this season – although with little opponent or physical contact. “We will build him up with the greatest care so that we get a lot out of him,” said Lieberknecht.
Attacker Fraser Hornby is also making good progress after his ankle surgery, but is no longer an option for the current season. Only Braydon Manu (torn hamstring) will certainly be missing from the next game against 1. FC Köln.
Use of Vilhelmsson questionable
There is a question mark behind Oscar Vilhelmsson. The Swedish attacker received a knee in the back during training and has not been able to train since due to severe pain. Substitute keeper Alexander Brunst, who has muscular problems with his shooting leg, is also questionable.
Julian Justvan (pubic bone) and Tim Skarke (back), who had to take a break against Freiburg, are options for the squad again. The same applies to Fabian Nürnberger, who recently struggled with persistent ankle problems.
One point still separates the lilies from relegation
SV Darmstadt 98 has now gone 22 games without a win. If Darmstadt loses again at the weekend and Mainz finishes 16th in the table. If we lose another point at the weekend, relegation would be finally sealed. The long-held optimism has now turned into realism, said Lieberknecht.
Nevertheless, there is still life in the team. “In the game or in training you don’t notice Sodom and Gomorrah or that all the dams are now breaking and the players are only out for themselves,” said Lieberknecht. In order to demonstrate this to the outside world, all of the week’s training sessions have so far been held publicly.
Lieberknecht: There is no such thing as giving up
You are indebted to the fans, who have been through “very, very many disappointments” in the current season. “One thing is not possible: that we give up here or that we don’t represent Darmstadt 98 well,” promised the coach.
2024-04-18 13:15:25
#Sodom #Gomorrah #Lieberknecht #sees #continued #life #team
