In the top match between Energie Cottbus and MSV Duisburg, Cottbus coach Claus-Dieter Wollitz will have to do without key players.

Energie Cottbus will host MSV Duisburg on Saturday (December 6, 2 p.m.) for the 3. Liga’s top match and aims to challenge the Meiderich-based team for the top spot in the standings. Coach Claus-Dieter Wollitz will have to fill several gaps, particularly on defense.

During Cottbus’s 3-2 victory over Viktoria Köln last matchday, King Manu had to be substituted at halftime due to injury. In addition, Nyamekye Awortwie-Grant received his fifth yellow card and is therefore suspended for the next match. As a result, Wollitz will have to do without two of his regular center backs against Duisburg.

At the pre-match press conference, Wollitz explained that while Manu’s ankle injury wasn’t as serious as initially feared, the player on loan from Fortuna Düsseldorf would still have to sit out for several weeks. However, the coach emphasized that for the players stepping in, this is “a huge opportunity to make a name for themselves.”

The decision on who will fill the resulting gaps has not yet been finalized. For Wollitz, however, individual positions won’t be the deciding factor on Saturday, as the 60-year-old coach is focused on the big picture.

We’ve got a lot coming our way, but that’s exactly where I see our opportunity

Claus-Dieter Wollitz

“We have to figure out what the best mix is, including for the players who play up front,” Wollitz explained. “For example, if we play with the lineup of Dominik Pelivan, Alex Borgmann, and Tolcay Cigerci—which is absolutely a valid option—we’re playing with players who exploit space rather than man-marking players. In that regard, it’s important who can play behind them if we say we want to play one-on-one, even though we’re actually coming through the space.”

It therefore remains to be seen which starting lineup and formation the coach will use to reclaim the top spot in the standings. In addition, Janis Juckel and Elias Bethke will be out. Ted Tattermusch, Can Moustfa, and Jonas Hofmann are still in rehabilitation training. Henry Rorig and Timmy Thiele are also questionable.

Despite the personnel concerns, Wollitz is optimistic about the top-of-the-table clash and wants to tip the scales in the hosts’ favor through superior play. “We’ll face quite a challenge, but that’s exactly where I see our opportunity. We want to find our positional play and structure on the field, as well as strike a good balance between build-up play and pressing,” the coach emphasized.