SV Darmstadt 98 will have to prepare for Saturday’s Bundesliga match against FSV Mainz (3.30pm) without coach Torsten Lieberknecht for family reasons.

Torsten Lieberknecht will not prepare the SV Darmstadt 98 team for the home match against 1. FSV Mainz 05 this week for family reasons. In agreement with the club, the head coach, who comes from Bad Dürkheim, is currently not in Darmstadt, but with his wife and children.

Rüdiger Fritsch, president of the Bundesliga club, explains on the official website of the Darmstadt club: “A stroke suffered by his wife Simone is currently demanding all of Torsten’s strength and attention. As a club, we are giving him every possible support so that he can devote himself fully to his wife and family.”

Whether Lieberknecht will be back in action for the Bundesliga match against Mainz on Saturday (November 11/15:30) remains to be seen.

The sessions in the current training week are being led by assistant coach Ovid Hajou with the support of other assistant coach Kai Peter Schmitz and goalkeeping coach Dimo Wache. Should Lieberknecht be absent on Saturday, Hajou will also be in charge of the team together with the coaching team.

After ten matchdays, SV Darmstadt 98 are above the bottom line

In sporting terms, things are not going too badly for the promoted side, who have lost their last three games against Leipzig, Bayern Munich and VfL Bochum. After ten matchdays, Lieberknecht’s team are in 15th place and above the bottom line. They have seven points – a draw against Mönchengladbach and two wins against Werder Bremen and FC Augsburg.

Until the winter break, there are still matches at home against FSV Mainz 05, 1. FC Köln and VfL Wolfsburg on the program. There are also away trips to SC Freiburg, the clash with newly promoted Heidenheim and, finally, TSG Hoffenheim on December 19.