Hertha's defensive crisis deepens ahead of dresden clash

Hertha BSC faces a significant hurdle in Saturday’s 2. Bundesliga match against Dynamo Dresden: a severely depleted defense. Injuries and illness have forced a reshuffling of the backline, leaving manager Stefan Leitl scrambling for solutions in a critical game for their promotion aspirations.

Key defenders absent for oster weekend

The latest blow came in the form of Niklas Kolbe, sidelined due to an unspecified infection. His absence joins that of Jeremy Dudziak, further complicating Leitl's team selection. Kolbe, who recently featured for the German U21 side as a right-back, now adds to a growing list of defensive concerns.

There’s cautious optimism surrounding Linus Gechter, who returned from U21 duty with a shoulder injury. Leitl stated, “We’re very glad the examinations didn’t reveal a more serious injury,” but admitted Gechter is still experiencing considerable pain. His participation remains touch-and-go, with Leitl tempering expectations: “We’ll see if he can get on the pitch tomorrow. If he does, he'll be in contention for Saturday.”

Leistner poised to return to dresden

Should Gechter fail to make the final training session on Friday, veteran Toni Leistner is expected to slot into the starting XI in his hometown. Leistner, a familiar face to Dresden fans, offers experience and stability, though he’s primarily been deployed as a center-back for Hertha this season. Pascal Klemens, recently rewarded with a contract extension, will unfortunately remain on the bench.

Deyovaisio Zeefuik, returning from a knee ligament injury after a 45-minute cameo in Düsseldorf, is set to fill Kolbe's left-back position. Leitl expressed confidence in Zeefuik's recovery, stating, “Deyo is almost back to 100 percent. He just needs game rhythm.” Julian Eitschberger also remains an option, providing further depth in a suddenly threadbare defense.

“We’ll put together a good chain,