Kicker Report: Lotka ruled out for second leg, Hertha to rely on Christensen again
German footballing magazine Kicker reports that Hertha BSC keeper Marcel Lotka will also be unavailable to the top division club in the crucial second leg of their relegation match against Hamburger SV.
The report goes on to aver Danish Oliver Christensen will again be called upon to help the capital city side escape the drop.
Germany's preeminent footballing publication reports that team doctors have ruled Marcel Lotka out of the second leg of the club's relegation playoff on Monday. The 20-year-old--subject of an ongoing transfer dispute with Borussia Dortmund--broke his nose and suffered a mild concussion whilst playing against Dortmund on the final matchday.
The report goes on to aver Danish Oliver Christensen will again be called upon to help the capital city side escape the drop.
With Alexander Schwolow still rehabbing from injury, it appears as if Danish net-minder Oliver Christensen will once again get the go in the fixture that shall determine which division Hertha plays in next season. In his first appearance since joining the club in the first playoff leg, Christensen conceded the lone goal in the match.
Whether or not Christensen was at fault for the tally remains a matter of subjective opinion. Hertha caretaker trainer Felix Magath defended his keeper afterward, insisting that the game-winning goal "did not result from a mistake." Christensen himself, on the other hand, struck a self-critical tone and seemed to fault himself for misjudging Ludovit Reis' cross.
Ironically enough, Christensen was actually targeted by Hamburg last summer. Reports suggest that Denmark's Odense Boldklub did not wish to let the 23-year-old go for less than his market value. The keeper known to Danish fans as "the Vulture from Kerteminde" landed with the capital city's Charlottenburg side for €3 million instead.