For the three Austrian legionnaires in the English Premier League, only minor roles will remain in the new season which begins on Friday. Christian Fuchs, as things stand at present at Leicester City, is just as unplanned for the core formation as Sebastian Prödl and Daniel Bachmann at Watford.
Bachmann returned to the “Hornets” this summer after finishing his loan engagement at the Scottish club Kilmarnock, but has to line up behind the 35-year-old English ex-team goalie Ben Foster. While the 25-year-old Viennese can at least assume regular nominations to the squad, Prödl’s situation is even more difficult.
Coach Javi Gracia put the Styrian on the sidetrack at the beginning of last season. The 2018/19 central defender ended up with just two club-level matches in the 2018/19 season, with protracted knee problems following an operation in December in the spring.
Meanwhile Prödl is fit again. “My injury is completely healed, I am aggressive again. It makes me feel positive that I get very good feedback for my performance in training and in the tests. I’m stepping on the gas and trying to get more games than last year,” said the 32-year-old from the APA.
However, the conditions don’t seem to be too good before the opening match against Brighton at home on Saturday. The fact that Prödl was not taken by Gracia to the summer training camp in Tyrol can be taken as an indication in this respect. The defender, who was voted best Watford player of the season by the fans only two years ago, has a contract until 2021: “I have a current contract that I’m going to fulfil unless something interesting comes up. But that’s not the case right now.”
For Prödl, the coming months will be about more than just his standing with Watford – the former Germany regional is hoping for his third participation in the European Championship. Prerequisite for this is not only a successful qualification of the ÖFB selection, but also an increased playing practice of the ex-bramer. Team boss Franco Foda appreciates his former Sturm-Graz protégé, but also made it clear that he would only be able to nominate him if there were enough club appearances. Prödl therefore promised: “I am attacking again because I have not lost sight of the EURO 2020 target despite the difficult last year”.
Fuchs has finished with the national team since his resignation after the EM 2016. At that time it was the plan of the Lower Austrian to move from England to his family in New York in 2018. I feel very comfortable with Leicester and coach Brendan Rodgers has convinced me to stay,” Fuchs told the APA.
Meanwhile even a longer stay on the island is not excluded. “Let’s see what happens next summer,” said Fuchs, who is scheduled to back up left-back Ben Chilwell at Leicester’s home against Wolverhampton before the first-round match on Sunday. “He’s a very good player, he’s on the English national team. It’s clear they’re building on him. But the trainer knows that he can rely on me when he needs me, as I showed during the preparation. I will do everything I can to get to as many missions as possible,” Fuchs announced.
