First red, now injured? zeefuik’s training halt raises cup doubt

On Tuesday morning at Schenkendorffplatz, the only public trainingseinheit of the week, the spotlight fell on Deyovaisio Zeefuik when he suddenly limped and the training was stopped, marking an Erst Rot turn for the Berliner defender and raising doubts about his availability for the upcoming DFB-Pokal match.

Training halted by injury

About an hour after the Beginn of the Einheit, observers saw Zeefuik, the 28‑year‑old defender who currently operates on the left, start to humpeln during a training game. The right thigh gave trouble, he was bandagiert and taken by Golfkart with team manager Gabriel Bratic from the Platz to the locker room. The incident made Zeefuik again the Mittelpunkt of attention and investigations are now underway.

Cup match in doubt

Am kommenden Wochenende the DFB-Pokal restarts, and Hertha BSC travels on Samstag to face 1. FC Saarbrücken. The Berliner side wants to build on the successful Auftakt of the new Zweitliga‑Saison and prove themselves against the Drittligisten.

Last Saturday Zeefuik received a Rote Karte in the Zweitliga‑Spiel against 1. FC Heidenheim (4:1). In the 88. Spielminute he elbowed Maximilian Breunig, prompting referee Lukas Beren to show the red card and send the Dutchman off.

Am Montag the DFB confirmed a two‑match suspension, meaning he will miss Eintracht Braunschweig and 1. FC Magdeburg. Now the question is whether he will also miss the Saarbrücken cup tie.

Trainer Stefan Leitl must now adjust his line‑up. One option is to place Niklas Kolbe as Linksverteidiger and shift Marton Dardai into the Innenverteidigung. Theoretisch he could also rely on Gustav Christensen or the talent Mayson Grothe.

For the Vorbereitung, Leitl had called his Schützlinge on Dienstagvormittag to the only public Trainingseinheit of the Woche at Schenkendorffplatz. The unexpected injury now creates a problem for the team’s plans for the upcoming Pokalspiel.