Goalkeeper Stein ruled out of Hansa Rostock's DFB-Pokal debut due to injury

Hansa Rostock's new goalkeeper, Yannic Stein, will have to wait to make his DFB-Pokal debut. The 21-year-old, who joined the club from 1. FC Union Berlin in the summer, was slated to start Friday's match against VfB Stuttgart. However, an injury has forced him to the sidelines.

“

We are still waiting for an opinion from the doctors. But it is possible that he will be out for a while.

Coach Daniel Brinkmann expressed his disappointment, stating that the club is awaiting a medical opinion but anticipates Stein could be out for some time. "This is of course a highlight match that he was looking forward to, and honestly, so was I, because I wanted to see him at this level. That won't happen now," Brinkmann said.

Stein has yet to feature in the 3. Liga this season, with Luca Unbehaun starting the first two matches. The cup tie against Stuttgart was seen as Stein's opportunity to shine on a bigger stage. Brinkmann acknowledged the difficulty of the task ahead, emphasizing that the team will need luck but also pointed out that Hansa Rostock has had favorable matchups against Stuttgart in the past.

“

This is of course a highlight match that he was looking forward to, and honestly, so was I, because I wanted to see him at this level. That won't happen now.

The last time the two clubs met in the first round of the DFB-Pokal, on August 18, 2018, Hansa Rostock secured a memorable victory, dubbed a "magical Hansa night" by Kicker magazine, with goals from Cebio Soukou and Mirnes Pepic. Brinkmann hopes his team can draw inspiration from that historic win, even without Stein.

“

It is an extremely difficult task and we need the necessary luck. But there are also nicer draws for Stuttgart.