TSG are facing major rebuilding work ahead of the game at VfL Wolfsburg. With Florian Grillitsch and Dennis Geiger both yellow-carded, the Hoffenheimers are without their central axis.
A late action, a check in injury time on Gonzalo Castro in the 2-0 win over Arminia Bielefeld, earned Grillitsch his fifth yellow card of the current season. Geiger had already been caught shortly before the break after a tackle on Janni Serra – recently, the homegrown player has always been a regular, forming an aggressive midfield centre together with Diadie Samassekou. Replacing the 23-year-old one-to-one should be the easier task for Sebastian Hoeneß. Last Sunday, the TSG coach substituted Sebastian Rudy in the 84th minute in place of the injured Geiger. With a view to the away task in Lower Saxony on Saturday, the veteran is almost a logical candidate for the starting eleven alongside Samassekou. Theoretically, Angelo Stiller would also be a possibility.
The task for Hoeneß in the Grillitsch question is becoming more complex. Because the role, the profile of the Austrian, is of far-reaching importance for the game of the Kraichgauer. On the one hand, the 26-year-old is the central link of the three-man defence, even though Kevin Vogt and Benjamin Hübner, who has recovered from a long injury, have been defending alongside him as “leaders”. On the other hand, Grillitsch is not only the initiator of Hoffenheim’s attacks from the back with his overview, he also likes to push forward, as a kind of director coming from the depths.
Vogt seems to be the favourite as Grillitsch’s replacement
Vogt, who is also a very good build-up player, would correspond best to his style. Even though the 30-year-old, as the central man of the three-man backline – a role Vogt already played under Julian Nagelsmann – certainly doesn’t have as many forays as Grillitsch. Nevertheless, Vogt seems to be the favourite as a one-time Grillitsch replacement, which forces Hoeneß to make further changes to the position of right centre-back. That, in turn, would be a chance for Kevin Akpoguma, as well as for Havard Nordtveit. So it will be interesting to see what impressions both make after Tuesday off in the shortened training week starting this Wednesday.
