Yahoo Sports KV Mechelen mid-season review: Mounting injury crisis threatens to curtail successful season
KV Mechelen had been having a fantastic season until just before the winter break. However, injuries to key players have continued to mount and appeared to have finally caught up with the side by the time the break came. Mechelen were in the top six for most of the first half of the season until a winless run that saw them go six without a win see’s them drop down to eighth.
Despite this, Besnik Hasi’s side have put in some good performances. Injuries to the likes of Daam Foulon and Nikola Storm have been detrimental to their success. Storm has four goals and three assists already this season. Of those that are fit, Rob Schoofs has been one that continues to perform well. The club captain is consistently one of the better midfielders in the entire division. Summer signing Benito Raman has also chipped in, mainly off the bench. The former Anderlecht man has six goals and leads the side.
Transfer needs
Hasi has already called for the board to bring him some reinforcements. It looks like Celtic defender Stephen Welsh is set to join on loan, which is exactly what the side needs. Their two summer signings in that position have spent almost the entirety of the first half of the campaign out injured. Another striker might well be a good option to pursue. Lion Lauberbach is struggled to really convince and with Raman being more effective off the bench, a better option to start games could really elevate the side.
Mechelen boast the proud record of being the last Belgian side to win a European trophy. If they could return to European football, or at least finish in the top six and give themselves a chance to do so, it will have been another good season for Hasi and his side.
