Mario Vuskovic will play for Hamburger SV on 15 November, the day his four-year doping ban expires. The 24-year-old defender will make his comeback in a friendly against his boyhood club, Croatian side Hajduk Split, at the Volksparkstadion.
Vuskovic has been reintegrated into team training since mid-September. Head coach Merlin Polzin is pleased with the player's progress. "He makes a very fresh impression," said the 35-year-old, adding that Vuskovic is handling the increasing loads well. The Croatian's last competitive match was in 2022, before HSV signed him permanently for a fee of €4.2 million following a successful loan.
The match against Hajduk Split carries deep personal meaning for Vuskovic and highlights the solidarity of both clubs. Both HSV and the Croatian top-flight side supported the player throughout his lengthy suspension. The club announced the fixture with a video sending a postcard to Croatia with the message: "Greetings from Hamburg! We can hardly wait to welcome you soon at the Volksparkstadion." The friendly kicks off at 3 p.m.
For HSV, the return of another defensive option comes as the team sits 13th in the standings with six points from five games. Recent form is on an upswing: after two heavy defeats to start the season, three consecutive wins have followed, most recently a 3-2 victory at 1899 Hoffenheim. Just one week after Vuskovic's comeback match, the Nordderby against Werder Bremen presents the next emotional highlight. Before that, HSV host 12th-placed VfB Stuttgart on 17 October, a team they lost 4-0 to in their last meeting. The current winning run and Vuskovic's return could provide key momentum for the challenges ahead in the fixtures list.
First reported at sportbild.bild.de
