CSM cautious after injury woes mount

CSM cautious after injury woes mount

A newbie in the Women’s EHF Champions League, CSM Bucuresti have proved their worth with a hard-fought draw against title holders, Buducnost, in the group matches.

However, the Romanian champions will have their work cut out for them in the Main Round.

A nail-biting finish saw CSM losing in the first game against Vardar, 23:22.

This makes the game against FC Midtjylland even more important for the Romanian side.

But Carmen Martin has no time to lose. The Spanish “guerrera” became an integrant part of the team’s attack, after CSM lost both of their right backs in December.

First, Deonise Cavaleiro (below) left the Romanian side for Nykobing.

Just three weeks later, Line Jorgensen injured her knee during the World Championship in Denmark and missed the chance to play against her former team, Midtjylland, after being sidelined for at least three months.

In comes Carmen Martin, who could be a surprise addition in the right back position – switching from her native right wing.

“We are in a tough position, but I think that we have had a very good season until now.

“Our team is having great success. And the defeat against Vardar motivates us even more, we are stronger now,” said the 27-year old Spanish right wing.

Both CSM and Midtjylland are tied on five points apiece in the group’s ranking, making this head-to-head game a decisive battle for qualification.

“We have all seen what our Danish counterparts can do on the field. They do not have one or two very strong players, they do not have stars, but they work amazingly well as a team.”

“They are truly fighters, they believe in their game, and will do everything to get the win. I respect that and think that they will be very hard to beat.”

Caution is also preached by Kim Rasmussen, CSM’s head coach.

“We can not pull off miracles in a short amount of time. Just look at handball’s history, no team has ever been built overnight,” said Rasmussen.

But the optimism is ever-present in the Romanian team. “We are fighting for a FINAL4 berth and I think we will be there. We all want to win and will do our best,” concluded Martin.

The right hand-side of the court could prove key for both sides, check out our "Face to Face" stats for Carmen Martin and her counterpart Trine Ostergaard.

CSM Bucuresti vs FC Midtjylland is live on ehftv.com at 19:00 CET.