Konrad Laimer after a long break before comeback at Leipzig
While captain Marcel Sabitzer was questionable until the very end, the long-term injured Konrad Laimer beckons a short comeback in the Sunday match between RB Leipzig and Stuttgart. “It's not enough for 45 minutes against Stuttgart. Of course, he still needs a little. He was gone for almost a year,” said RB coach Julian Nagelsmann. If the squad situation allows, “then he could play a few minutes”, he said at least the prospect of a comeback for the ÖFB team player.
Laimer has been absent from Leipzig and the ÖFB team since August 2020. In September of last year, the 23-year-old from Salzburg had a knee arthroscopy. For Leipzig he has not been on the pitch for a minute this season, because the rehabilitation took significantly longer than expected. Most recently, the ÖFB legionnaire had trained individually, but since Monday he has been participating in full team training for the Saxons again.
After a dent in earnings, RB Leipzig risks losing the target record season in the German league. Nagelsmann therefore wants to reopen the hunt for the “Hasi record” of trainer Ralph Hasenhüttl from the premiere season 2016/2017 (67 points) against promoted Stuttgart on Sunday. There are only six points left to tie. Despite the injuries in the season finish, Nagelsmann also relies on Sabitzer and Laimer.
In training, Laimer was already an obvious choice, it was said. “Having a mentality player on the pitch is always good. He's one of those guys, you can see that in the training sessions,” said Nagelsmann. “Konny has a top motivation to come back on the pitch because he was gone for a long time, regardless of who the opponent is or whatever. That is definitely good.”
In the finish, types of drivers like Laimer would do very well, emphasized Nagelsmann. “With Konny we are stronger,” the coach had already recognized after his failure. At Leipzig, too, the defensive midfield engine Laimer blends in blindly with compatriot Sabitzer directly in front of him on the offensive. “We have known each other for a long time. We know what the other can do, how the other plays. We get along on the field and I hope that it will continue like this in the future,” said Laimer about his colleague on Sky TV of the ÖFB national team.
After the final training session, the RB captain decided whether the Sabitzer, who served on the calf, would play against Stuttgart. Especially with a view to the all-important DFB Cup semi-final next Friday at Werder Bremen and the shortened week, you have to weigh up the chance and risk. said Nagelsmann.
