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In the online media round, Daniel Thioune was combative in view of the difficult situation of Hamburger SV in the promotion of the 2nd Bundesliga. A few hours later, the HSV coach was faced with the next challenge. Defender Stephan Ambrosius seriously injured his right knee in training on Tuesday. In the evening the devastating diagnosis came from the University Hospital Eppendorf: cruciate ligament tear. In the middle of the crucial phase of the season, one of the stabilizers on the defensive is out for months.
The 22-year-old Ambrosius suffered the same injury in December 2018. The sporting development of the Hamburg native was suddenly stopped at that time. This season he became a regular under Thioune and was in the starting line-up in 26 of 30 league games so far. Together with Toni Leistner, he formed one of the best center-back duos in the league. And also in the U21 national team, DFB coach Stefan Kuntz counted on him for the knockout games of the EM.
The fact that Holstein Kiel could not displace HSV from the promotion relegation place with the 1-1 draw at 1. FC Nürnberg on Tuesday evening was more of a side note because of the Ambrosius injury.
Thioune and his coaching team had to worry about who could start for Ambrosius in the catch-up game on Thursday (6.30 p.m. / Sky) against Karlsruher SC.
Especially since Moritz Heyer is missing another important defensive man with a yellow card.
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One option could be Rick van Drongelen.
The 22-year-old Dutchman fought his way back after his cruciate ligament rupture in the last game of the previous season and was on Saturday in the 1-1 game for Ambrosius at Jahn Regensburg in the last minutes.
In any case, the Ambrosius failure is bad news for the people of Hamburg.
Especially in a phase in which - as in previous seasons - they can give up their good starting position in the promotion race.
After four games without a win and only 15 points in 13 games in the second half of the season, Hamburg no longer has it in their own hands to get one of the first two promotion places or the relegation rank.
"There are at least four more games to play for all teams up there and a lot of points that have to be scored first," said Thioune.
"I'm not surrendering"
One thing is important: "I am not capitulating," assured the 46-year-old.
He and his team didn't want to quarrel.
“We look ahead, because looking back doesn't get us any further.” This also applies to dealing with the Ambrosius-Aus.
One thing will be different on Thursday in any case: The players wear special jerseys. The occasion is the tenth anniversary of the gay-bi-lesbian fan club “Volksparkjunxx”. The club's logo with a large rainbow-colored X will appear large on the players' chest.