16.09.2009, 11:06
Viborg lose Lunde for a while

The Norwegian playmaker has knee problems and will miss the first part of the season. At the same time, Viborg sign new keeper.

Viborg lose Lunde for a while

Injuries seem keep coming for Viborg HK. While right back Grit Jurack and goalkeeper Louise Bager Due are both pregnant, backcourt players Bojana Popovic and Nora Reiche are not expected to return soon.

On top of all these missing players, playmaker Kristine Lunde-Borgersens will be for a few months, probably until New Year.

The 29-year old Norwegian international injured her right knee and she also has problems with her left knee.

“This means that she will have to rest her knees completely for the next two months. We are going to monitor the injury thoroughly with MR scans. After those two months we will evaluate if she can start slowly again,” Dan Christiansen, head of Viborg HK´s health section explained.

The long injury break will mean that Kristine Lunde-Borgersen – playing under a new name after marriage this summer – is likely to miss almost half of her team´s matches in the Danish league as well as the Champions League group phase and World Championship.

Annoyed coach

Viborg´s head coach, Jakob Vestergaard, is understandably annoyed by the news.

“Of course, it is the worst for Kikki, but it is definitely also bad for our team. All of a sudden we only have one backcourt player left from the team from last season, Rikke Skov. Obviously this is a huge handicap which we will simply have to try and handle as successfully as we can,” Jakob Vestergaard said.

Kristine Lunde-Borgersen has been playing for Viborg since the summer of 2007, and her contract with the Danish club will expire at the end of this season.

New goalkeeper arrives from Croatia

In the meantime, the team found a player to replace the pregnant goalkeeper Louise Bager Due. A 21-year old Croatian goalkeeper Katarina Bralo who has been tested in the team for some time, and who has been found qualified to be back-up to Norwegian national team goalkeeper Katrine Lunde Haraldsen this season.

This was especially important after the young talent Sandra Mittet also picked up an apparently serious knee injury.

“Karatrina Bralo is an interesting talent who will be fine to help Katrine. She is particularly aggressive and quick at close shots and she does not move before the shot. Her style is unpleasent for the opponents,” Viborg´s head coach Jakob Vestergaard said about Bralo.

Goalkeeper of the year

Last season Katarina Bralo played for German HC Thüringer. She was awarded Goalkeeper of the Year of the Bundesliga. She is well aware of her role in her new team.

“Things happened extremely fast, but I'm very happy to be in Viborg now. I never expected to play for Viborg, so this is the best that could happen to me. I just hope to play a little and I will certainly do my best to help the team,” Bralo said.

TEXT: Peter Bruun