Marseille manager De Zerbi has made a bold attempt to switch midfielder Hejbel, who is on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, to the center back position in a recent training session and believes he has all the potential to play in that role, according to the team newspaper. The decision was made in response to Marseille's absence in their last match due to the red card suspension of defensive starlet Ballerdi. Ballerdi is not only an important part of the team's backline, but also a key player at the back of the net, so De Zerbi is in dire need of finding a solution to fill that void.
After trying various options, De Zerbi decided to put the center of the midfield, Hejbel, in the center back position in training. The Danish player will officially play as a center back in the match against Strasbourg as he impressed De Zerbibi with his performance in training. It's not uncommon for defensive midfielders to drop back to center back in modern soccer, and Hejbel could be the latest player to successfully try out this role change.
Since joining Marseille on loan from Tottenham Hotspur this summer, Hejbel has been the mainstay of the team's midfield, starting all five rounds of league matches and scoring one goal. De Zerbi's trust and recognition of Hejbel will undoubtedly provide him with great confidence and support in the challenge of this new role.
