Now it’s coming thick and fast for Greuther Fürth. As the promoted team announced on Friday, five professionals tested positive for COVID-19 and will be out until further notice. Coach Leitl will travel to the match in Freiburg with a mini squad.
Only after another PCR test on Friday was it clear: “We can make the trip to Freiburg,” explained midday coach Stefan Leitl, who is travelling to this Saturday’s away game with a mini-squad of 15 players. No less than five Fürth professionals have tested positive for COVID-19 in the course of this week and are out. “We had a player with a positive coronal test after our day off,” Leitl described what happened, “we had the team tested in the course of that, there were then four other positive cases. All of them are in domestic quarantine and have had no more contact with the team. So the number of players available for the game in Freiburg is significantly reduced. “
Hoogma out with partial tear of the inner ligament in his left knee
In addition, Leitl will also have to do without right-back Marco Meyerhöfer and, for longer, centre-back Justin Hoogma. “Marco has a severe cold and will not be going, Justin Hoogma suffered a partial tear of the medial ligament in his left knee on Tuesday and will not be available to us for several weeks,” announced the 44-year-old.
Azzouzi: “We are almost completely vaccinated “
Which players have been infected, the Fürthers still left open. “We are still keeping it a secret. But we’ll see tomorrow, there are slight symptoms, one has no symptoms at all,” explained sporting director Rachid Azzouzi, who pointed to a high vaccination rate among the cloverleaves, “we are almost fully vaccinated, we are far above the 70 per cent necessary for herd immunity. “
“We are almost fully vaccinated, we are far above the 70 per cent necessary for herd immunity.
“It is certainly difficult to score there, but not impossible “
Even with these personnel setbacks, Leitl is not letting himself be distracted from his goal of scoring in Freiburg. “We’re facing a Freiburg team that is rightly in third place, a very disciplined team that plays with a lot of will and passion, with an exceptionally good coach at their side,” said Fürth’s head coach. “Nevertheless, we’re also bringing a powerful squad onto the pitch on Saturday. We have confidence in the guys who are coming on, I am convinced that we will play a good game. Not just for 45 or 60 minutes, but for 90. That’s what I expect from my team. I’m sure it’s difficult to score there, but not impossible.”
Azzouzi also continues to demonstratively back the coach: “We continue to believe in the team and in our path, even the defeats can’t dissuade us from that.” So the team at the bottom of the table did not embark on the journey to the south in despondency. “These 15 players are definitely capable of playing well in Freiburg. Then something is also possible there,” Leitl is convinced, “I think that can also release forces because the group has to get even closer together, you saw that this week as well.” What is possible in this constellation will be seen on Saturday afternoon. Also who the Spielvereinigung will be missing at the SC.