Uwe Rösler warns his team about the struggling KSC. VfL Bochum must once again do without several experienced players.

One last home game for VfL Bochum in the 2nd Bundesliga. On Saturday (1 p.m.), Karlsruher SC comes to the Ruhrstadion. And the omens have changed in the meantime. While VfL has lost only one of its last eight games, KSC has suffered five defeats in a row. With three points, VfL can overtake Karlsruhe and go into the winter break in eighth place. After a weak start, that would certainly be a success for coach Uwe Rösler’s team, who has to announce another absence before kickoff. Captain Markus Bero was unable to train on Wednesday because he “has problems with his ankle,” as Rösler explained. In addition to Bero, Ibrahima Sissoko is also missing. The central midfielder has traveled to the Africa Cup of Nations. Ahead of Saturday’s 90 minutes, Rösler announced at the pre-match press conference: “Moritz Kwarteng is fit again and will replace Matus in the squad.”

Using the example of the upcoming opponent, he emphasizes how quickly things can go in either direction. “You can see how balanced the league is. You can’t afford to make many mistakes. You have to maintain the standards and culture in training, otherwise the momentum can quickly shift. It was always close against KSC with Düsseldorf, they are a physically strong team. They have always been very good at set pieces and have a game-changing player in Wanitzek. It will be a close game. They will do everything they can to turn the momentum around. We have to go into the game with dedication and joy. We can take a huge step forward. That has to inspire our players to get the three points.”

With Marcel Franke and Fabian Schleusener, KSC also has to replace two players who received yellow-red cards in the last game. But Rösler warns that it could turn out like it did against Dresden, when they lost at home, if they don’t stay focused. “We saw what happened against Dresden. You can’t underestimate anyone in the league.”