Herrlich confirms Özcan in goal

Heiko Herrlich said it was a “neck and neck” race between Ramazan Özcan and Thorsten Kirschbaum to be in the starting eleven for the opening match of the season. in the end, the head coach opted for the more experienced Austrian who has already played 173 competitive matches in the top two divisions in Germany. “Rambo will play from the start.”

It remains to be seen whether the same will apply to Leon Bailey. The Jamaican did take part as planned in full training today (Tuesday, 14 August). In addition to Bailey, Karim Bellarabi returned just two weeks after suffering a knee injury at the summer training camp. However, Herrlich is very keen to treat the number 38 with kid gloves. “We shouldn’t take the third step before the second. Karim had less problems turning than we thought today.” Herrlich did not reveal whether there was enough progress for a place in the side at Pforzheim.

MRi scan

The Cup tie definitely comes too soon for Charles Aránguiz who is at the moment making good progress in terms of returning to full training. As part of the follow-up, the medical section carried out an MRI scan that confirmed the findings of an ultrasound examination. The Chilean has a problem around his Achilles, which originates from issues with his patella tendon.

 According to Herrlich, Aránguiz has recently worked very well with fitness coach Daniel Jouvin but the boss is keen to downplay expectations from the fans. There will have to be day-to-day progress before our number 20 joins his team-mates on the training ground.

sponsors season launch

While the first team worked hard on the training ground on Tuesday morning and afternoon, there was a lot going on in the mixed zone and the underground car park. This evening, the club has invited its sponsors to the annual season launch event. This year there are a lot of club anniversaries to celebrate. Against the background of 40 years in the Bundesliga, 30 years since winning the UEFA Cup and 25 years since lifting the DFB Cup, the guests plus the team and coaching staff will immerse themselves in the history of Bayer 04.