Uwe Rösler warns his team about the struggling KSC. VfL Bochum will once again have to do without several key players.

A final home game for VfL Bochum in the 2. Bundesliga. On Saturday (1:00 p.m.), Karlsruher SC will visit the Ruhrstadion.

And the odds have shifted in the meantime. While VfL has lost only one of its last eight matches, KSC has suffered five straight defeats.

With a win, VfL can move past Karlsruhe and head into the winter break in eighth place. After a weak start, that would certainly be a success for coach Uwe Rösler’s team, who must announce another absence before kickoff.

Captain Markus Bero was unable to train on Wednesday; he “has problems with his ankle,” as Rösler explained. In addition to Bero, Ibrahima Sissoko is also out. 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; he’s moving into the squad for Matus.”

Using the upcoming opponent as an example, he notes how quickly things can go either way. “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 shift quickly. “Against KSC, it was always a close game with Düsseldorf; they’re a physically strong team. They’ve always been very good on set pieces and have a game-changer in Wanitzek. It’ll be a close match. They’ll do everything they can to shift the momentum. 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 match. But Rösler warns that it could go the way it did against Dresden, when they lost at home, if they don’t maintain their focus. “We saw what happened against Dresden. You can’t underestimate anyone in this league.”