Sturm Graz suffer 'extremely bitter' injury ahead of Hearts clash as Champions League rivals endure star blow
Hearts face the Austrian side on Champions League duty later this month.
Sturm Graz have suffered injury woe ahead of their clash with Hearts as an important player goes down with a hamstring problem.
New Tynecastle head coach Wouter Vrancken has had his team in Spain over the last week for warm weather training ahead of Champions League second round qualifiers against the Austria side later this month. Hearts face Livingston and Rayo Vallecano in friendlies ahead of the clash and Sturm Graz preparations have also commenced.
Head coach Fabio Ingolitsch did not hold back in his assessment after a 6-2 thrashing at the hands of Ukrainian outfit LNZ Cherkasy, and their latest clash against Slovakian first division side FC Kosice ended in a 2-2 draw, concluding their own training camp. Injury news has not been positive though with Polish international Filip Rozga set for a spell on the sidelines with a hamstring issue.
What Sturm Graz player is injured ahead of Hearts
The 19-year-old playmaker who can also play out wide was a regular for Sturm Graz last season but it’s claimed in Polish media the injury will see Rozga ‘miss the remainder of preseason training and the start of the season.’ Rehab has already started but sporting director Michael Parensen admits it’s a costly blow.
"The loss of Filip Rozga is extremely bitter," Parensen said of the injury. “He already missed several games due to injury in the spring. Even though it hurts right now, we know he's in the best medical hands with us and will do everything he can to get back to playing as soon as possible.”
Ingolitsch admits Sturm Graz haven’t reached their peak at the end of their training camp but is still happy with some of the work completed. He knows improvements have to be made ahead of hosting Hearts and travelling to Gorgie but team bonding and improving fitness were important markers ticked off.
How are Sturm Graz preparing for Hearts?
“It was a week with many ups and downs,” the Sturm Graz boss admitted. “We had our problems, especially in the first friendly. The team's reaction to that was all the more pleasing. We drew the right conclusions and put in a very good performance overall. The opponent scored two goals from a single shot, which speaks volumes about our defensive stability. Unfortunately, we failed to capitalise more on our numerous good attacking opportunities – we should have won this match.
“Of course, given the current situation – with many returning loan players and numerous talented players from the reserve team – it's clear that we're not yet 100% cohesive as a unit. Consequently, the processes and timing aren't quite there in every situation. Nevertheless, the training camp fully served its purpose. We've grown closer as a team and were able to work intensively on our fitness. That's ultimately the most important thing."