The VfL squad kicked off their preparations for Saturday’s trip to Fortuna Düsseldorf (kick-off 15:30CET) in the pouring rain on Tuesday, with young John Yeboah Zamora joining the first team having impressed in the Under-19s.
Labbadia praises youngster
The fleet-footed 18-year-old plays predominantly as a left winger and currently leads the Under-19 scoring charts with an impressive ten goals. It’s that kind of form which has earned Yeboah a call-up to the first-team squad and he has already made one friendly appearance for the senior side. “John’s athleticism make him a real handful at youth level,” said head coach Bruno Labbadia, who praised his dynamism and skill on the ball and is now looking forward to seeing “how much he’s developed and whether he can perform at senior level”.
Knoche absent, Mehmedi hobbles off
Defender Robin Knoche missed the session with a groin problem, while Admir Mehmedi also had to pull out of the morning session owing to calf issues. On the plus side, Jeffrey Bruma was back in action following an ankle injury which had kept him out for weeks.
