Third division side Rot-Weiss Essen face SSV Ulm 1846 on Saturday, and it’s quite possible that Nils Kaiser will be back in action.
In 2024, Nils Kaiser has developed into a real alternative at Rot-Weiss Essen. The 22-year-old has recently made his mark as a substitute and is now one of head coach Christoph Dabrowski’s first substitutes.
Kaiser’s development is certainly impressive: In the summer of 2023, he was still one of the candidates for sale. He was informed at the time that he would not play a role in the sporting plans for the 2023/24 season. However, the midfielder then fought his way into the squad thanks to strong performances in preparation and did not let a torn medial collateral ligament in his knee and a two-month injury break get him down.
While he “only” played 72 minutes in the entire first half of the season, he played 67 minutes in the last three games alone – with success
Kaiser scored the important goal in the closing stages of the last-minute home win against SC Freiburg II (4:3) to equalize the score at 3:3 and set up Marvin Obuz’s 3:0 in the recent away win in Regensburg (3:1). The 22-year-old has now scored twice in the last three games – his first two in professional soccer.
At the press conference ahead of the top match between Rot-Weiss Essen and SSV Ulm 1846 (February 17, 2 p.m.), Forecasting asked Dabrowski about Nils Kaiser. The coach expressed his satisfaction with the midfielder’s development
He’s a youngster who gives our team energy and impetus. Nils is a young player who will continue to develop and improve, but he’s now an important part of our squad.
Christoph Dabrowski on Nils Kaiser
“I’ve been observing Nils’ development since pre-season, where he made a very refreshing and positive impression. Accordingly, he has also seized the opportunity to be part of our squad. During the first half of the season, he quickly found his feet again after his eight-week break due to his knee injury. His good training performances have put him in a position where he can also play. He’s a youngster who gives our team energy and impetus. Nils is a young player who will continue to develop and improve, but he’s now an important part of our squad. “