With starting role in mind, Hertha plan to keep Lukebakio

Reporting from Hertha BSC training camp, Steffan Rohr reports that the coaching regime of Sandro Schwarz plans to keep (and very likely start) Belgian winger Dodi Lukebakio this season.

Germany’s main sporting tabloid confirms that “die alte Dame” are not interested in any offers for the 24-year-old. 

Despite some interest from his native Belgium and also Greece, Hertha BSC have no interest in either selling or loaning out winger Dodi Lukebakio. The four-times-capped Belgian international was loaned out to VfL Wolfsburg by sporting director Fredi Bobic last season. Steffen Rohr of German footballing magazine Kicker nevertheless reports that new Hertha trainer Sandro Schwarz is enamored with the attacker and very much wishes to keep him.

Bobic has brought in many players qualified to play on the left-hand-side of Schwarz’s probable 4-3-3. DOng-Jun Lee, Kelian Nona, Myziane Maolida and the most recently acquired Chidera Ejuke can all serve on that flank. Matters on the right are a bit more complicated as Marco Richter’s recovery timetable from testicular cancer cannot be foreseen. It is such that Lukebakio is slotted in for a starting position on that right flank, irrespective of whether Schwarzx utilizes a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2.

Rohr states that Germany’s Charlottenburg capital city side has roundly rejected offers for Lukebakio from Olympiakos Piraeus. Germany’s main sporting tabloid confirms this and also emphasizes that Schwarz has been very pleased with the player’s training camp. The player himself is said to fell comfortable back in the fold at “die alte Dame” and does not wish to move.

More about Dodi Lukebakio