Rot-Weiss Essen welcomes VfB Oldenburg on Sunday (3 p.m., RevierSport live ticker). RWE coach Christoph Dabrowski will once again have to replace a number of players.

The good news from Rot-Weiss Essen’s point of view first: Björn Rother and Niklas Tarnat, both of whom have been missing recently due to suspension, will be available to Christoph Dabrowski again on Sunday (3 p.m., RevierSport live ticker) against VfB Oldenburg.

RWE expects 17,000 spectators, including 500 fans from northern Germany, against VfB. They will not get to see Andreas Wiegel on the Red-White side. It is quite possible that Felix Bastians, Moritz Römling and Meiko Sponsel will also be missing.

“With Wiegel, it will probably take another two weeks. He has problems with his big toe and wears a splint. He is not allowed to put any weight on the toe. Bastians is currently completing an individual rehab program. We’ll see when he can participate in team training again. Today, Friday, Römling is doing his first running training again after an infection and Sponsel has signed off for Friday with a stomach upset,” reports head coach Dabrowski from the RWE hospital.

But the 44-year-old is not the type of coach who whines about too many absences and looks for alibis. For weeks, Dabrowski has had to replace important players time and again. “That’s part of soccer. We have been above the line since Matchday 7 and have a buffer to the bottom. The class preservation enjoys with us since the 1st matchday the highest priority. After this season with many ups and downs, we want to realize this and say goodbye to the season with good results and a positive mood. Then we still have the big cup game against Oberhausen on the program,” Dabrowski looks ahead.

But first up on Sunday is VfB Oldenburg, who want to make the most of one of their last chances to stay in the relegation zone with a three-goal win in Essen.

Dabrowski: “We have the clear goal of winning the game. Oldenburg’s performances fluctuate. But they also always have surprising and good results. It may be that they will first try to stand stable and look for pinpricks. They still have five games to go before they leave the relegation zone. In any case, a highly motivated and aggressive opponent is coming to Hafenstraße. Together with the support of our fans, we want to keep the three points in Essen. “