Is there a doctor in the house?

By: Chris | October 13th, 2008

Yeah, I hate the international break as much as many club supporters do. And I am really steamed about some of the happenings of this break for HSV.

As a club supporter, all you really want from an international break is for the various national team players from your side to come home unscathed and rested. Such was not the case for HSV, as midfield ironman Nigel de Jong was injured in The Netherlands match with Iceland while attempting to block a pass. The opposing player followed through a bit too far and kicked De Jong in his left knee. De Jong will not play for Holland in their WC qualifier on Wednesday versus Norway. De Jong is scheduled to undergo an MRI today to determine the true extent of the injury.

More bad news on the injury front: über talent (and German U20) Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has undergone knee surgery for a torn lateral miniscus (knee cartilage to you and me) AGAIN, and is expected to spend the next four months recuperating. Choupo-Moting has been widely recognized as a star of the future at HSV and this second knee injury shuts him down until after the winter break.

Yet another knee injury, this to Romeo Castelen. Castlen, like Choupo-Moting, has been recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery since February. Castelen reinjured his left knee (torn cartilage–same injury as before) during training last week. He is out for the next four to six months.

Freiburg transfer Dennis Aogo looks to step in at left back for Thimothee Atouba and/or Marcell Jensen, who both went out with injuries in HSV’s last Bundesliga match (with Cottbus). Aogo has been very patient according to BMJ while biding his time with the first team reserves so far. The poor guy has got to be a little down in the mouth right now: For the first time since being called up by the German U15’s Aogo was not called by the U21’s for recent action. Hang in there kid.

Finally, Frank Rost has been signed to a contract extension through 2010. Rost, a longtime favorite here at the Hamburg Offside, had been negotitiating an extension since January, but the talks had stalled while the HSV Board of Directors searched for a new manager (the thinking was that the new manager may want to bring in his own players). Rost has earned every penny of the new contract and now looks set to finish his career in Hamburg. Did you know that Rost earned his B-level manager’s license this past summer? Neither did I . . .

Let’s get these WC qualifiers over with and get back to club football. Up next for HSV–Schalke ‘04. Can’t wait. Fo’ shizzle.