The first water break, which BVB **** istant coach Robert Kovac called after about 45 minutes of training, was gratefully received by the 22 field players. After all, the Black and Yellows were on the training field in Dortmund-Brackel in summery 28-degree weather and bright sunshine.
Two days earlier, the Borussians had already undergone the mandatory performance testing; on Tuesday, they finally took to the field for their first training session.
In addition to injured captain Emre Can, head coach Niko Kovac’s roster was missing the World Cup participants, who are currently still on vacation. Julian Ryerson, who had to be substituted due to injury during Norway’s quarterfinal match against England, has not suffered a more serious injury and is expected to return to Dortmund fully fit after his vacation.
In place of the World Cup players, Kovac called up not only the established players—including Serhou Guirassy, Fabio Silva, Jobe Bellingham, Yan Couto, and others—but also eleven young talents from BVB’s youth teams to the first-team training squad.
Summer signings Joane Gadou and Justin Lerma demonstrated their skills in team training for the first time. The 19-year-old center back and the 18-year-old midfielder showed great motivation and enthusiasm right from the start.