Hamburg’s forward options have narrowed during the international break. Top scorer Albert Grönbaek has suffered a muscle fibre tear, while Terem Moffi is managing renewed knee discomfort and Patson Daka missed Zambia’s 2-0 Africa Cup qualifying win over Togo.
Key takeaways
- Moffi trained alone with light running after sitting out all of last week.
- The Nigerian striker’s left knee was seriously damaged in 2024, when he sustained cruciate ligament and meniscus injuries.
- Coach Merlin Polzin said there is fluid in Moffi’s knee and his availability for Hoffenheim is uncertain.
- Daka was absent from Zambia’s squad against Togo, reportedly because of a muscle problem.
- If both Moffi and Daka are unavailable, HSV would have only Yussuf Poulsen and Otto Stange as fit central-striker options.
Moffi requires careful management
Moffi started HSV’s 2-1 win over Köln before the break, but looked short of mobility and was replaced by Poulsen at half-time. The summer arrival from Nice had been expected to build fitness after missing much of pre-season. Instead, his programme has been interrupted again.
HSV paid €2 million for the 27-year-old despite his medical history. After joining Nice, Moffi tore his anterior cruciate ligament and damaged his meniscus in his left knee during the summer of 2024. He did not return to his former level at Nice or during his loan spell at Porto.
Polzin said the current issue involves “a little fluid where it should not be”. He added that Moffi does not have “completely healthy knees”, but believes a tailored workload can help the club understand and handle the problem better.
The coach expects this week to determine whether Moffi can feature at Hoffenheim after the break. “The knee reacted a little more than it seemed to me,” Polzin said.
Daka absence adds to HSV concerns
Daka’s non-selection for Zambia against Togo has increased the pressure on Hamburg’s attack. The 27-year-old is believed to have a muscle complaint, leaving Polzin with a potentially thin group for the next Bundesliga fixture.
Poulsen has not played beyond 45 minutes in any match since pre-season began. HSV have carefully controlled the Danish forward’s minutes after he suffered five injuries across last season, and the approach has kept him available.
Stange is another central option, but the academy product has largely been used in an advanced wide or half-space role since the summer. With Grönbaek sidelined, Hamburg also need him in that position.
