Ahead of the match against VfL Bochum, Karlsruher SC, under coach Christian Eichner, is facing squad issues.

Karlsruher SC will play away at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion on Saturday (December 20, 1:00 p.m.) for Matchday 17 of the 2. Bundesliga. KSC coach Christian Eichner will have to do without key players against VfL Bochum.

In the 0-4 loss to SC Paderborn on the last matchday, 16-goal scorer Fabian Schleusener and center back Marcel Franke each received a yellow-red card. As a result, 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 gotten a bit tougher compared to the last few weeks,” Eichner explained at the pre-match press conference. “There have certainly been easier days, but that also means that other players who have the ambition to play more and more regularly will get their chance.”

Apart from Saturday’s match, the winter break is also important in terms of personnel, as several players who significantly improve this team are missing

Christian Eichner

After five straight losses and sitting in eighth place in the standings, the coach wants his team to put in a strong performance against VfL, which “has finally gained momentum following the coaching change.” To make that happen, the coach is relying on a mix of hungry players and those who can take responsibility on the field.

“Overall, we need to make sure we have a good mix of players on the field—those who need to set the pace and the guys I mentioned who perhaps haven’t played at the second-division level as often,” explained the KSC coach.

One candidate for the starting lineup against VfL could be Andreas Müller, for example. The defensive midfielder joined KSC from Darmstadt 98 at the start of the season for around 700,000 euros. In the league, the 25-year-old has appeared on the field a total of twelve times so far and started six of those matches. He has also made two starts in the DFB Cup.

However, the coach left open which specific players will be in the starting lineup this weekend, adding that the decision will depend on several factors. He also hinted that the club intends to use the winter break to strengthen its roster.

“Apart from Saturday’s match, the winter break is also important in terms of personnel, because we’re missing a few players who would significantly improve this team,” Eichner explained.