Vuskovic last played a competitive match on November 9th, 2022, before receiving a suspension for a positive EPO test. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) later extended his initial two-year ban to four years.
Following his four-year doping ban, the central defender is now finally back on the pitch for HSV. When he returned to training - also at the Volksparkstadion - in mid-September, thousands of fans were there to cheer him on.
However, with a sell-out crowd in the stands for the match against his hometown club, his return is certain to be even more special. "To be honest, it’s hard to say how he’ll perform on Sunday," HSV coach Merlin Polzin remarked earlier this week.
The HSV coach found it difficult to "evaluate what kind of impact this will have on him. We’re all just incredibly excited about it, and we don’t want to put any pressure on him. Mario will put enough pressure on himself as it is, because he wants to perform well - after all, there will be quite a few people there watching", says Merlin to German media Kicker.
Mario will wear the same number which was worn last season by his younger brother, Luka Vuskovic, who is looking forward to seeing his brother return to action: "It means a great deal to all of us in the family, but for him, it’s something else entirely. I know he will become a top player again, just as he was before the whole situation unfolded."
Despite the suspension, the entire HSV community has continued to stand by his innocence in the EPO doping case, as he became a symbol of a player mistreated by bureaucratic sports tribunals. Fans regularly printed 'Free Vuskovic' stickers and banners, while teammates often displayed his number 44 jersey after scoring goals.
Should Mario prove that he is match-fit, he could be in contention for HSV's huge clashes against Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich in the coming weeks.