The recent home game against 1. FSV Mainz 05 marked the end of an extended spell on the sidelines for Josha Vagnoman. The 23-year-old right-back had been out with a foot injury since the beginning of April but returned to action in the 3-3 draw on Matchday 2, playing over 45 minutes. He then lasted over an hour in the friendly against 1. FC Kaiserslautern on Thursday, which VfB won 4-1. “Appearing in our last two games did me good,” he said. “I feel physically fit and hope to get more game time in the coming weeks.”
Despite his determination to gain further match practice, the defender knows not to expect too much too soon. “We have a demanding period ahead of us,” he explained. “After the game in Gladbach we head straight to Madrid, and the weeks after that will be similar. We need to pace ourselves well.”
For now, though, Sebastian Hoeneß and his players are fully focused on the upcoming trip to Mönchengladbach. “None of us are happy with our points tally,” said Vagnoman. “That’s why we want to give our all on Saturday and get the three points.”