Oh sh*t

By: Chris | July 8th, 2009

Loyal reader Manolo witnessed it first hand, and now it threatens the transfer strategy. Yep, Alex Silva twisted his knee and the worst is feared.

$\"Photo courtesy Hamburger Abendblatt\"$ In the 57′ of yesterday’s 0:1 defeat to Austrian 2. Bundesliga side Wacker Innsbruck, Alex Silva twisted his knee and and had to be substituted due to the extreme pain. He was carried from the pitch on a stretcher and replaced by Kai-Fabian Schulz. Team physician Dr. Oliver Dierk will examine Alex Silva today (Wednesday) and give an initial diagnosis, probably after an MRI. If it is a torn ACL or MCL, Alex Silva will miss the next 6 months at a minimum, and could miss the entire season–a HUGE blow to our already thin ranks on the defense.

If Alex Silva’s knee injury is as feared–a tear and not a sprain–the transfer strategy will have to change in order to replace the defender. As I mentioned yesterday, he was moved to central defense by Bruno. Jerome Boateng can certainly play CD, and excelled in that role at the recent Euro U21’s, but behind him on the depth chart is a whole lot of nuthin’. Yesterday, I wrote that Philippe Senderos of Arsenal, late of AC Milan, was a potential target, and that pursuit may speed up in light of Alex Silva’s current health. But what does that do to the transfer of Groningen striker Markus “the Mountain” Berg? Well, according to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, nothing–he’s already signed a 5 year deal with HSV. NOW, I travel to the Netherlands occasionally (though not as much as I used to), but I can’t vouch for the journalistic credibility/verascity of De Telegraaf’s football coverage. German television NDR also picked up the Telegraaf story, and they were not able to get a confirmation from the club. The Hamburg Abendblatt also picked up the story, so who knows where this is. Either way, I think they pursue another defender–maybe on a loan?–for depth, and move Boateng into the starting XI. OR, do they call ol’ Bastian Reinhardt back and say Dude, this whole thing where we said we didn’t think you could cut it anymore has been a total mixup.