Holstein Kiel cannot yet announce a new winter arrival, but returning Ahmet Arslan could provide a breath of fresh air in the squad.
A long injury layoff came to an end after half-time in the 5-0 test match win over TSV Havelse: Arslan celebrated his comeback after an eight-month absence when he came on for Steven Skrzybski. “I am very happy to have played again after eight months. My knee held up so I could go into the duels. That gives me confidence,” the midfielder was quoted as saying on the club’s website.
The cruciate ligament rupture is in the past, the 27-year-old is looking ahead. And that’s where the next test match is on Saturday. With VfL Osnabrück, the Störche will face an ex-club of Arslan’s, who is looking ahead to the opener in Gelsenkirchen on 16 January. Against Osnabrück, the aim is to “implement what the coach wants us to do – and get the necessary confidence for the game at Schalke. “
At Havelse, coach Marcel Rapp was largely without 13 players due to coronas. However, the coach does not want to complain, even if he describes the preparation for the Schalke game as “anything but optimal”. “We’ll just play with those who are there. And we’re happy about everyone who comes back.” Like Arslan.