Schalke will start Weston McKennie, Ozan Kabak at center back again
FC Schalke 04 lost Salif Sane to a serious knee injury last week and will be without Benjamin Stambouli for a couple of more months, but they should still have quality starting center backs if no more serious injuries occur.
Last week, FC Schalke 04 showed that the have the resiliency to truly challenge for the Bundesliga title and secure a Champions League spot this season. Salif Sane suffered a heart-breaking, multi-month knee injury early in the Royal Blues’ match at Augsburg last week, and while the team was initially affected strongly by the injury to an important player and leader, they used their emotions to rally to a gutsy 3-2 victory.
Although Schalke subbed in veteran Daniel Caligiuri, who set up both of the team’s equalizing goals via indirect free kicks, it was jack-of-all-trades American Weston McKennie who filled in for Sane at center back.
Normally a midfielder, McKennie did not look out of place in defense again, intercepting passes and making Sergio Ramos-esque runs into the final third to support a Royal Blues attack that was struggling to make some noise for much of the first half.
Meanwhile, his center back partner was Ozan Kabak, who was making his first start for the Gelsenkirchen-based club. Kabak joined Schalke over interest from Arsenal and AC Milan after emerging as one of the most talented young defenders in all of Europe last season. The Turkish international has found it difficult to get minutes over stars like Sane and Benjamin Stambouli, but after Stambouli’s injury, Kabak got his chance against Augsburg.
And he took full advantage, playing excellent defense and scoring yet another Bundesliga goal. Kabak does indeed look like a star in the making.
Next. Ready or not, here comes Ozan Kabak. dark
With Matija Nastasic still injured due to an Achilles’ issue and Stambouli and Sane out for a while, Schalke manager David Wagner announced that both McKennie and Kabak will start again for the Royal Blues this Saturday against rivals Fortuna Dusseldorf.
Schalke fans can expect more shutdown defense and attacking support from Kabak and McKennie, who are two of the Bundesliga’s best young players at any position. Hopefully, Nastasic can return from his injury soon so that McKennie isn’t forced to start at center back on a weekly basis, but it’s good to know that the United States international can be a more than capable starter in defense.