Sambi Lokonga has returned to full training at Hamburger SV following an adductor injury. Manager Merlin Polzin confirmed the midfielder's comeback and identified Saturday's away match at SC Paderborn as the clear target. The team travels for this fixture sitting ninth in the Bundesliga with nine points from six games.
Polzin said that Lokonga's training load had to be managed a bit differently recently, but he has trained fully. The match in Paderborn is the clear target for him. Lokonga missed the last home victory. The situation is less clear for three other players. Patson Daka and Bakery Jatta only completed parts of team training and need a little more time according to the coach. Fabio Vieira suffered a minor cramp which has already subsided.
Lokonga's return is important for HSV. The team is in a positive spell with several wins in their recent league games, most recently a victory over Stuttgart thanks to a late goal. The 1-0 win against VfB Stuttgart on Saturday 17 October, secured by an 88th-minute goal from Miro Muheim, earned three points. This form of four wins in their last five league matches has lifted HSV to ninth place, just five points off the top. In the absence of a long-term injured player, Polzin took the chance to start Bilal Nadir. The young player was praised for his technical quality and work rate. Meanwhile, Mario Vuskovic is preparing for his long-awaited HSV debut, set for a friendly after his doping ban expired.
The Hamburger SV U19s won the city derby against FC St. Pauli. There was also a small debut in the senior squad: Kofi Amoako scored his first friendly goal for HSV. The current form and compact squad provide grounds for optimism for the upcoming task. The next away match is on Saturday 24 October against SC Paderborn 07, who currently sit 16th.
Louis Lemke, who lost a front tooth in the match against Stuttgart, summed up the mood: "A tooth half gone, three points in the bag". The match in Paderborn kicks off at 3:30 PM on Saturday.
First reported at tag24.de
