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Leverkusen (AP) - The fact that Lennart Grill cannot sit on the bench in the second round second leg against Young Boys Bern on Thursday and cannot intervene is “just bad luck” for his coach Peter Bosz.
In the preliminary round, the U21 national goalkeeper was still registered for Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League.
But then Bayer signed three new players in the winter.
The club had to cancel three players, in addition to the already injured Julian Baumgartlinger and Santiago Arias, it hit another: Grill as the third goalkeeper.
The 18-year-old Marcel Johnen with experience from four U19 Bundesliga games was registered for him.
Because young players on the B-list may also be appointed beyond the 23-man squad.
"In the first half of the season we didn't report Mitch Weiser and a week later, two right-backs, Arias and Lars Bender, were injured," Bosz quarreled: "And now exactly the same thing happens to us: a week after we made the list, Lukas has himself injured, who has never missed a game since I've been here. "
The question that moves many in the Bayer environment is a different one: Why is Grill, who at 22 is no longer an absolute newcomer and who transferred two million euros to third division club 1. FC Kaiserslautern for Bayer in the summer, is just the number three?
Behind Lomb, who is a solid goalkeeper, but never became a real challenger for the regular goalkeepers at Bayer and has meanwhile been awarded three times in the 2nd and 3rd division.
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According to Bosz, conversion problems are primarily responsible.
«Lennart came from Kaiserslautern.
That's a different level, "said the Dutchman:" He has to get used to, for example the pace.
He is young and still needs time.
He gets it from us. "
Currently, however, he can only “look at the service that is now being accessed.
And that's why I decided that he was not the second, but the third goalkeeper. "
The change was apparently so difficult for Grill that he also lost his regular place in the U21 national team.
After five games in the starting XI, four of them over 90 minutes, Finn Dahmen from Mainz now has "the momentum on his side", according to coach Stefan Kuntz.
In the Europa League, Grill might have gained important experience.
Instead, he has to watch the games from the couch at home.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210225-99-583270 / 2
German press kit