Third division team Rot-Weiss Essen will face SC Verl on Matchday 38. At the pre-match press conference, coach Christoph Dabrowski gave an update on the personnel.
The last matchday of the 2022/23 season is just around the corner – and Rot-Weiss Essen have already achieved their goal of staying in the league. Thanks to VfB Oldenburg’s recent slip-up (1-2 against Zwickau), RWE can no longer slip into the relegation places and have planning security for the coming season.
“We didn’t watch the game together. We still had training in the morning and reworked the Halle game there. Of course we were disappointed about the defeat. I think everyone was very happy that we managed to keep our place in the league in the afternoon. That was a huge relief after a long time where we unfortunately didn’t put the lid on it,” explained head coach Christoph Dabrowski at the press conference on Thursday.
At the end of the season against SC Verl (27 May, 1.30 p.m.), the pressure to succeed is off, but the Red and Whites still want to say goodbye to the league with a positive result – after a weak second half of the season – and offer the fans a good performance. A total of 16,000 spectators are expected at Hafenstraße, including 200 guests from Verl.
Centre-back José-Enrique Ríos Alonso will definitely not be able to play in this match. As RevierSport reported on Tuesday, the 22-year-old has suffered “a haemorrhage in the ankle bone and external ligament, but no structural injury”. The defender is still questionable for the Niederrheinpokal final against Rot-Weiß Oberhausen (03 June, 16.15).
I can also well imagine that both are an option for the squad. Bastians has been out for a few weeks now. Ron was only out for a week. He’s had a mask and a cuff for his scaphoid. I’ll be honest and say that I don’t know what I’m going to do. I think he’ll be fit for action.
Christoph Dabrowski.
In addition to Ríos Alonso, the RWE coach will still have to do without Andreas Wiegel, Meiko Sponsel, Michel Niemeyer and Moritz Römling on the final matchday.
Captain Felix Bastians and striker Ron Berlinski are still in doubt, as Dabrowski explained: “Bastians and Berlinski have resumed training this week. We’ll have to see how the next few days go. I can well imagine that both are an option for the squad. Bastians was out of action for a couple of weeks. Ron was only out for a week. He got a mask and a cuff for his scaphoid. I’ll be honest and say that I don’t know what I’m going to do. I already think he’s fit for action. “