Hasenhüttl answers burning questions ahead of crucial Augsburg match

Ralph Hasenhüttl responded to numerous questions about the squad situation in a 22-minute press conference prior to Wolfsburg’s away match in Augsburg on Saturday afternoon.

Wolfsburg coach Ralph Hasenhüttl spoke to the media at the Volkswagen Arena this afternoon, ahead of a 600-kilometre trip for Saturday’s match with FC Augsburg.

One of the focal points of discussion among Wolfsburg supporters, and the German media, has been the goalkeeping selection for this match. 

Hasenhüttl confirmed that everything is lining up for Kamil Grabara to start the match and return to the main spot in Wolfsburg’s goalkeeping system.

 “Kamil has trained with the team this whole week, and also put in extra shifts. Things are looking great for the weekend; if he remains fit, then he will play”, the 57-year-old Austrian said about the Polish goalkeeper.

Jakub Kamiński was also discussed, following an excellent performance against FC St. Pauli in just 27 minutes on the pitch. 

“It was very important that we kept Kamiński in the winter, I knew we needed such quality. It was very important that he was able to show it during the match,” Hasenhüttl said.

In his press conference, Hasenhüttl praised Cédric Zesiger, the Swiss centre-back who made 30 appearances for Wolfsburg in the 2023 / 24 and 2024 / 25 seasons before being sent on loan to Augsburg: 

“He has shown in recent matches that he is an absolute asset there. I am really happy for him, because he probably would not have had that amount of playing time here.”

The following question was about Yannick Gerhardt, who has been deemed out of Wolfsburg’s match this weekend due to an illness; he said regarding the left-back who turned 31 today, “The weekend will be difficult because he is bedridden, he has caught the virus.” He mentioned Gerhardt’s birthday, saying to the media, “Happy birthday to you [Gerhardt], if you are watching; unfortunately, we cannot sing for you today – it will be rescheduled.”

Hasenhüttl also announced that Patrick Wimmer could be returning to the starting eleven for the Augsburg match, after missing the St. Pauli match due to the same virus, but that an official decision will come later. 

“I do not know whether he will be ready for the starting eleven yet. Today was his first training session, and he has been out for a full week now, so all we can do is wait and see. It is also important to have backup options from the bench.”

Regarding the list of injuries for Die Wölfe, he stated, “Sebastiaan Bornauw is still out, Mathys [Angely] is out, and Lukas Nmecha still has not joined us for training sessions. However, things are looking better for Kevin Paredes, he is getting more involved in training, returned to the pitch today and has been involved.” He summarised everything by saying, “It will take a while for the boys, but there is already a light at the end of the tunnel.”

VfL Wolfsburg visit FC Augsburg at the WWK Arena on Saturday afternoon, with the kickoff set for 15.30 (CET). The two teams are separated by just three points, with Wolfsburg in seventh (38 points) and Augsburg in eleventh (35 points).