Borussia Dortmund’s head coach Marco Rose has attributed the manageable playing times of storm talent Youssoufa Moukoko to the youngster’s frequent forced breaks and unfavorable conditions. “The ‘Mouki’ has been injured so many times this season and was not available at all,” said the 45-year-old (quoted via “foosball”) on Friday. “Of course he always needs time to catch up.”
17-year-old Moukoko, the youngest goalscorer in Bundesliga history, has only played 316 minutes in 17 games for the Black and Yellows this season. He had one goal and two assists. Due to injury, the junior international striker missed 16 competitive games. Moukoko already had to deal with some problems last season. And with “two, three, four muscle injuries” in 2021/22 it was “difficult”, said Rose.
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At the beginning of March, the “Bild” reported that the offensive talent is aiming for a change next summer in order to be set at another club. At the end of January, consultant Patrick Williams told the newspaper that “it was not a matter of course that Youssoufa extended at BVB”. Moukoko’s contract ends in 2023. Coach Rose urges patience, which the young professional and his environment may no longer seem to have in full.
Rose on Moukoko at BVB: “The overall picture has to fit”
“He then comes back, has a solid to decent training week, is 17 years old and then ‘Mouki’ and the people expect us to throw him in in a difficult game,” said the coach, who has recently come under increasing criticism. “The overall picture has to fit. That’s also part of the truth that he’s and has been injured just too many times this season.” Rose, he said, “would like nothing more than to keep throwing the boy in and developing him.” For this, Moukoko had to offer himself through the “normal way” in training.
But Rose was also self-critical and admitted that he might not always have given his player enough chances: “Maybe there was one game or the other where he was in good shape and I still didn’t bring him. I like to put the shoe on.”
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