As of: March 26, 2024, 9:37 a.m
By: Uli Kellner
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There is some hope left in the Blue Orange faction: Joel Zwarts (pubic bone) and captain Jesper Verlaat, who is also ailing.
sampics © Stefan Matzke
TSV 1860 Munich is plagued by injury concerns before the away game against SC Freiburg's reserves.
The defense in particular comes across as badly ruffled.
Munich – The small information session at the beginning of the new week is almost over when Argirios Giannikis flinches.
A child's crying awakens his fatherly instinct; it comes from the artificial turf field where the "Lion Football School" has started its holiday program.
Also there is Matteo Giannikis, the eight-year-old son of the head coach.
As far as his offspring is concerned, it was apparently a false alarm.
Another child was sobbing.
Still, the father of two doesn't leave it unmoved.
He says sympathetically: “Unfortunately, sometimes things happen on the football field.”
It's no different for the big kickers than it is for the little ones.
The professionals at the Giannikis Football School have also had a lot to deal with in the last few weeks.
After there had been an almost oversupply of players for months, it took a little longer after the weekend off for the coach to list all the absences: Captain Jesper Verlaat is still out (torn muscle fiber), as is his defense partner Max Reinthaler (strained medial ligament).
Joel Zwarts suffered a minor setback (pubic bone) after his comeback goal against Münster.
There are also sick and convalescent players such as Milos Cocic and Valmir Sulejmani.
But that's not enough.
Marlon Frey and Michael Glück will certainly not be going to the away game in Freiburg on Saturday (4.30 p.m.).
In her case, it wasn't due to injury, but because of a red card or yellow card suspension.
TSV 1860 Munich with massive injury concerns in defense
In particular, the defense of the strengthened Freiburg team appeared to be in a bad shape before the game.
While the Löwen loanee Niki Lang was recently tested by professional head coach Christian Streich (over 90 minutes in the 4-1 win against St. Gallen), TSV 1860 Munich will have to improvise on Holy Saturday.
At the first training session of the week before Easter, there were exactly two defense center professionals on the field who were not suspended or injured: Leroy Kwadwo and Tim Kloss, who has only played 13 minutes in the 3rd league.
Giannikis had already thrown Sean Dulic from the U19 into the deep end in the test at Linzer ASK (0:1).
Dulic (18) came on for luck in the final phase.
If necessary, according to the coach, Phillipp Steinhart or Tim Rieder could also help out at the back.
Or one or another spontaneous healing occurs.
According to Giannikis, at least there is vague hope among the Orange faction of the Blues.
“We have a vision that Jesper and Joel will get back into the game this week,” said the coach: “Maybe tomorrow, but more likely on Wednesday.
There remains a residual risk as to whether we can use them on the weekend.
Joel has now lost ten days - and it's the same place for him.
This is a setback for Joel after he last got 40 minutes of playing time.
We won’t risk anything, we’ll only bring them when they’re fully capable.”
Regardless of the emergency eleven that is looming, Giannikis was optimistic that after three defeats in a row shortly before Easter, something worth counting will end up in the white and blue points nest.
Although he points out that the team at the bottom of the table has collected half of their 20 points in the last five games, the belief in their own abilities remains alive.
“We don’t think in terms of problems,” he says, “but in solutions.
You always have to have a plan B in hand.” The game in Freiburg will definitely be “very intense for us again”.
(Uli Kellner)