There was bad news for two third-division clubs on Friday, October 28. For Viktoria Cologne regarding an injury, for Waldhof Mannheim regarding a result.

Shock for FC Viktoria Cologne! The third division club will have to do without key player Bryan Henning for at least half a year.

“Boy, come back healthy!” Bryan Henning will be out for several months with a serious knee injury he suffered on Wednesday in Viktoria’s 4-0 win in the Bitburger Cup against Landesliga team TuS Mondorf,” the Cologne officials said.

“This is of course very bitter. Bryan is a very important player in our squad. We will definitely miss him,” Viktoria’s sports director Stephan Küsters told Forecasting.

The midfielder, who joined Höhenberg from Eintracht Braunschweig in the summer and has been in Viktoria’s starting lineup in all of the 3rd division’s season games so far, underwent surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee at Cologne’s MediaPark Klinik on Friday.

We have to keep eating the dirt until the curve flips. Under no circumstances should we lower our heads. Waldhof Mannheim must not be in a relegation place at this point in time, but we are. Now we have to join forces.

Rüdiger Rehm

Meanwhile, there has been more discussion than ever about the coach at SV Waldhof Mannheim since Friday. After all, the 3-0 defeat at newly promoted team Spielvereinigung Unterhaching saw the Mannheim team slip into a relegation spot. As a reminder, Mannheim parted ways with Christian Neidhart before the season and signed Rehm to attack at the top – and hopefully get promoted. The team from Baden-Württemberg is miles away from achieving this goal.

The stricken Rehm revealed to “Magenta Sport” what he said to his protégés after the 3-0 defeat in Unterhaching in the team circle. Rehm: “I told the boys that we are going through an incredible phase right now. We’re not rewarding ourselves, we’re punishing ourselves. As a team, we’re fed up with this. We have to keep eating the dirt until the curve flips. We must not lower our heads. Waldhof Mannheim must not be in a relegation place at this point in time, but we are. Now we have to join forces.”

Next Sunday, two traditional clubs face off in a battle between cellar dwellers: SV Waldhof Mannheim against MSV Duisburg. The question remains whether Rüdiger Rehm will still be on the sidelines for the hosts.