1. FC Köln welcomed positive news on Tuesday as Yuya Osako made his way back into team training.

Schools are still on summer break, which meant there were once again plenty of fans in attendance on Tuesday for the early morning training session. FC had the complete squad training together with the exception of Thomas Kessler and Konstantin Rausch. This meant Yuya Osako was finally able to practice with his teammates since suffering an injury in the preseason match against Bologna FC on July 31st. “It is good that he was able to train. My impression is that he looked fine,” said head coach Peter Stöger. Important for the FC coach is that Osako is able to train pain-free before Friday’s match.

The first home fixture of the new season is fast approaching as Stöger prepares his men for Hamburger SV on Friday night. “This season, with the exception of a few matches, will be defined by many close encounters in my opinion. I think a lot will depend on the form of the day and which side has more luck in the match.”

FC will train behind closed doors for the next three days ahead of Friday night’s (20:30) home opener against Hamburger SV at the RheinEnergieSTADION.