Ahead of the match against VfL Bochum, Karlsruher SC coach Christian Eichner is plagued by personnel worries.
Karlsruher SC will be playing away at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion on Saturday (December 20, 1 p.m.) for the 17th match day of the 2nd Bundesliga. KSC coach Christian Eichner will have to do without key players against VfL Bochum. In the 4-0 defeat against SC Paderborn on the last matchday, 16-goal man Fabian Schleusener and center back Marcel Franke were both shown yellow-red cards. This means that the two key players will not be available against Bochum.
In addition, Lilian Egloff and Louey Ben Farhat are out due to injury, as is Christoph Kobald, who is sidelined at short notice due to a strain. Sebastian Jung and Rafael Pedrosa are questionable after recovering from illness.
“In terms of personnel, things have become a bit bleaker compared to recent weeks,” Eichner explained at the pre-match press conference. “There have certainly been easier days, but that also means that other players who aspire to play more and more regularly will get their chance.”
Regardless of Saturday’s game, the winter break is also important in terms of personnel, as several players who significantly improve this team are missing.
Christian Eichner
After five consecutive defeats and eighth place in the table, the coach wants his team to put in another good performance against VfL, who “have finally hit their stride since the change of coach.” To achieve this, the coach is relying on a mix of hungry players and those who can take responsibility on the pitch.
“Overall, we have to make sure we have a good mix of players on the field who can set the pace and the guys I mentioned who may not have played at the second division level that often,” explained the KSC coach.
One candidate for the starting lineup against VfL could be Andreas Müller, for example. The defensive midfielder moved from Darmstadt 98 to KSC at the beginning of the season for around €700,000. The 25-year-old has made a total of twelve appearances in the league so far, starting six times. He has also made two starts in the DFB Cup.
However, the coach left open which players will actually be in the starting lineup this weekend, adding that the decision will depend on a number of factors. He also hinted that the club wants to use the winter break to strengthen its squad.
“Apart from Saturday’s game, the winter break is also important in terms of personnel, because we are missing a few players who would significantly improve this team,” Eichner explained.