Bad news for VfL Wolfsburg during the international break. Regular goalkeeper Koen Casteels is suffering from inflammation in the abdominal area and will miss the games with Belgium. Does Pavao Pervan, Wolfsburg’s number 2, have to play against Bayer Leverkusen?
Who will play against Leverkusen? Wolfsburg’s Koen Casteels and Pavao Pervan (from left). IMAGO/Jan Huebner
VfL Wolfsburg writes about “inflammation in the abdominal area” on its homepage. Koen Casteels was therefore not between the posts for the Belgian national team in the 3-2 win in Austria on Friday evening and will also be missing in the home game against Sweden on Monday (8.45 p.m., LIVE! on kicker). Bitter for the keeper, who had to wait years to play in goal for the Red Devils and has now been promoted to number 1 in the Belgian team after Thibaut Courtois tore his cruciate ligament. “I’m always happy when I can play for my country,” said Casteels in a recent kicker interview, “in the past there were very few games for me.” Casteels has appeared seven times for Belgium so far.
Is Casteels missing against the league’s goal factory?
There have been 256 games so far for VfL Wolfsburg, which the 31-year-old will be leaving in the summer at the latest. It is still unclear where he will go. Likewise, his participation on Saturday (3:30 p.m., LIVE! on kicker) against Bayer Leverkusen. The unbeaten league leader, the league’s goal factory with 23 goals, is visiting the Volkswagen Arena. Does VfL have to do without their number 1 now of all times?
Schäfer announces talks with Pervan
The next few days will reveal how serious the inflammation in Casteels’ stomach is. One thing is clear: If the experienced goalkeeper is unavailable, Pavao Pervan is available to replace him. The Austrian, who has been with VfL since 2018, has played 35 games in the past five years. As with Casteels, the 35-year-old’s contract is expiring. It is quite possible that VfL will have to sign another goalkeeper alongside Kamil Grabara (FC Copenhagen), who will be the new number 1 in Wolfsburg. Managing director Marcel Schäfer says of Pervan: “We will sit down together in due course; he enjoys our highest esteem.”
Pervan’s successful league debut – against Leverkusen
And may have to play again on Saturday against Bayer in the Bundesliga for the first time since May 7, 2022. Back then, VfL won 1-0 in Cologne, Pervan parried everything that came his way (kicker grade 1). The Austrian played his first Bundesliga game on September 1, 2018. Wolfsburg won 3-1 against Bayer Leverkusen.
2023-10-15 15:33:00
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