Gladbach Signs Daiki Hashioka After Konoplya Injury
Borussia Mönchengladbach’s summer planning has taken an abrupt twist – and prompted a rapid response.
With new right-back Yukhym Konoplya sidelined by a knee injury, the club are closing in on Japanese international Daiki Hashioka. According to Sky Germany, relayed by transfermarkt.de, Gladbach have agreed a loan deal with Slavia Prague that includes an option to buy. The 27-year-old is expected to complete his medical on Thursday.
It is a move born out of necessity, but not panic.
Konoplya, only just through the door himself, suffered a partial tear of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee during a 2-1 friendly win over Rot-Weiss Essen. The Ukrainian will be out for around two months and will miss the entire Tegernsee training camp. For a new coach trying to install ideas and a new signing trying to learn them, it is a brutal interruption.
So Gladbach have turned to a player who brings more than just cover.
Hashioka, capped 12 times by Japan, would become the club’s eighth signing of the summer and the second from Japan after defensive midfielder Zento Uno. Last season he spent time on loan at KAA Gent, making 17 appearances, and he arrives with a reputation for flexibility rather than flash.
Right-back is his natural home, but he can slot into central defence or push higher on the right flank. For Eugen Polanski, juggling systems and personnel in his first pre-season at the helm, that kind of versatility is gold. It allows him to protect himself against further injuries without ripping up the blueprint every time someone goes down.
Uno’s quiet first steps
While the Hashioka deal edges towards completion, Uno has already begun the slow process of integration.
The 22-year-old took part in his first full team session on Tuesday, but Gladbach are handling him with care. He was used mainly in drills with limited physical contact, with the plan to ramp up his workload in stages before the squad heads to Tegernsee.
Language, always a hidden battleground for new arrivals, is being tackled head-on. The club have assigned interpreter Atsushi Waki to shadow Uno in tactical meetings and on the training pitch.
“With a translator, we can ensure that our messages come across exactly as we intend them to,” head coach Eugen Polanski said. “We’re using this week to ease him into the workload so that, ideally, he’ll be able to participate fully at training camp.”
It is a small detail, but it underlines how seriously Gladbach are treating the adaptation of their Japanese signings. Misunderstood instructions in July can cost points in October.
Busy summer, more movement ahead?
On the pitch, the schedule is already packed. Before heading south to Rottach-Egern, Gladbach face Hansa Rostock in another friendly. Once at their training base, they will meet local side FC Rottach-Egern and then step up the level against Bundesliga rivals Hoffenheim.
Off it, the squad remains in flux.
The Foals have spent around €12.5 million on new players so far, while bringing in roughly €21 million from sales. The balance sheet looks healthy, but the market work is not finished yet. Nathan Ngoumou, Tomas Cvancara and Florian Neuhaus are all mentioned as potential departures.
A new right-back likely to arrive, a fresh holding midfielder being eased into the group, key decisions still to be made on established names – Polanski’s first pre-season is anything but quiet.
Gladbach are reshaping themselves on the fly. The question now is whether this bold, international rebuild can harden quickly enough for the demands of the Bundesliga season.
