FC Schalke 04’s Kerim Calhanoglu plays for SV Sandhausen on loan. He has been on the sidelines there lately – but not in the German U20 national team.

In the first half of the season, Kerim Calhanoglu was on the sidelines for FC Schalke 04. The 20-year-old left-back went on loan to SV Sandhausen during the winter break. He wanted to gain match practice at the relegation-threatened second-division club and recommend himself to his regular club S04.

This plan has not worked out so far. Calhanoglu hasn’t played a role lately and has been out of action five times in a row. This Monday, the outfielder was allowed to play his first game in about six weeks: in the jersey of the German U20 national team.

While Sandhausen did not count on Calhanoglu in the relegation battle, DFB coach Hannes Wolf apparently still likes to use the Mannheim-born player.

In the 1-1 draw against Italy, Calhanoglu defended on the left defensive line from the start and played through. “It was a demanding game,” coach Wolf was quoted as saying on the DFB website after the final whistle. “We would have liked to win very much, there was more in it today against a good opponent. “

Whether Calhanoglu could recommend himself for Sandhausen with his performance? Coach Tomas Oral had given Chima Okoroji preference in Calhanoglu’s position in recent weeks. The Schalke loanee has yet to make an appearance since Oral took over from Alois Schwartz at the bottom of the table at the end of February. Calhanoglu was not even in the squad for the last three match days.

From Calhanoglu’s point of view, the loan spell had started promisingly. Calhanoglu was part of the starting eleven four times in a row, after he was mainly used for the regional league reserve team at Schalke in the first half of the season. In the meantime, his status at SVS has changed. But Calhanoglu, whose contract at Schalke runs until 2024, is still in demand in the U20 team.