Bayer 04 will respond to the loss of regular goalkeeper Mark Flekken by signing a new goalkeeper in the winter. However, according to manager Simon Rolfes, the club will not be signing a new number one, but rather a player who can step in for Flekken’s replacement Janis Blaswich if necessary – the riskier of the two options.
Following Mark Flekken’s medial ligament injury in his right knee, Simon Rolfes did not rule out signing a new goalkeeper at the beginning of the week. The manager explained that they would have to see how the “entire goalkeeper team situation develops over the next few weeks.” The club has now discussed the matter and decided how to respond to Flekken’s absence until mid- or even late March.
“The goal is to add to the goalkeeping team for the coming weeks,” Rolfes said after Bayer 04’s 1-0 win over Werder Bremen on Saturday evening. “We give Janis our full support and have confidence in his abilities, but we want to add to the goalkeeping team.” Reinforce, meaning bring in a replacement for Blaswich and not a replacement for Flekken as the new number one.
The manager confirmed this when asked. “You could interpret it that way. In the end, it’s always about performance, but we signed Janis in the summer because we have confidence that he can play,“ explained Rolfes, who wants to sign a replacement who can be trusted to do the job without hesitation. In other words, an experienced keeper and not just a promising young player. The new signing should be ”someone who is also capable of playing, not just a talent,” according to the managing director.
Blaswich didn’t make any mistakes in his two appearances, but showed weaknesses with his feet
Rolfes cited Blaswich’s two appearances in the 2-0 Champions League defeat to Olympiacos Piraeus and the victory against Bremen as arguments for the decision against a new number 1. “I think he did well, made it clear that he gives the team stability,” argued the 44-year-old in favor of Blaswich, who was brought in from Leipzig in the summer and did not make any mistakes in either game, but showed with his footwork that he is not at Flekken’s level in this discipline.
With the decision against a new number 1, Bayer is avoiding the situation of potentially completely disrupting the hierarchy in the goalkeeper position. If a top keeper had been signed, Flekken (32), who was brought in from Brentford FC for €11 million in the summer, might have had to give up his place in goal beyond the end of his enforced break. It would also have sent a signal to Blaswich that he was not trusted to be the number one goalkeeper over a longer period of time. Ultimately, both goalkeepers, who were only signed for this season, could have been damaged.
Rolfes has opted for the more risky option in sporting terms
Those responsible have now opted for the more risky option in sporting terms, having previously sounded out the market for a potential new number one and approached candidates such as Filip Jörgensen (Chelsea FC) and Stefan Ortega Moreno and James Trafford (both Manchester City). Now Blaswich and his replacement, who is yet to be signed, must justify the trust placed in them with their performances.