Hardly any playing time at RB
15 Bundesliga games and two goals are in the tally of the Spanish U21 international Hugo Novoa from RB Leipzig. The 19-year-old, who switched from Deportivo La Coruña to the Saxon U17s in 2019, has not made more than seven brief appearances so far this season. Coach Marco Rose and the player himself now commented on the current situation and possible future prospects.
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“Hugo has enormous speed, he’s a good footballer and gambler,” Rose attested to his protégé in “Kicker” magazine. With a view to the lack of playing times, his only problem is the powerful competition on the Leipzig offensive, which includes top scorers Christopher Nkunku, Timo Werner, André Silva and Yussuf Poulsen – the Spaniard knows that too: “The competition in a team like Leipzig is extremely high, especially in attack, where there are players of incredible quality,” said Novoa, who, in view of the squad density of Rose’s predecessor Domenico Tedesco, should be retrained as a right-back or “track player” on the flank.
“If I had a choice, I would choose the storm. But in recent years I’ve also played at right-back. If I improve defensively there and gain more experience at the highest level, I believe that I also have a lot of potential in this position,” the specialist magazine quoted the legal footer as saying. Coach Rose, who believes that Novoa “still lacks a bit of physique” when it comes to defensive work, announced that he would like to have talks with the youngster and his environment in a timely manner. A loan in winter or in the coming summer seems to be the desired variant, Novoa’s RB contract is valid until 2024.
“Hugo needs playing time. And if he doesn’t get as much playing time in the second half as he did in the first half of the season, we’ll find a good solution for him,” said Rose. His professional sees it that way too: “I think it’s important for a young player to play as much as possible in order to make progress. And it’s also an advantage for the club that a young player they have signed gets continuity and can eventually play a decisive role. I realize that every time I get minutes, I learn a lot of things and improve as a footballer.”
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