Against RB Leipzig, Markus Weinzierl has to rebuild FC Augsburg’s defensive centre again: Captain Jeffrey Gouweleeuw is missing due to a yellow suspension. And a deployment of Reece Oxford is also associated with two risks.
The short-term return of the two regular centre-backs brought much-needed stability to FCA in the 2-0 win in Cologne, but the longed-for continuity in the centre of the back four continues to elude them. Gouweleeuw received an unnecessary yellow card in Cologne and will have to miss Wednesday’s match.
In addition to Oxford, either the trained right-back Robert Gumny or youngster Frederik Winther will therefore probably start in central defence. But even the use of Oxford poses two dangers: On the one hand, the Englishman has received four yellow cards and is threatened with a ban for the important match at the bottom of the league, Fürth, on Saturday. Secondly, it is questionable whether the 22-year-old will be able to play three complete games within a week after returning from a thigh injury.
Lately the risk went
“We have to be clever and involve the player,” Weinzierl said. “We need him, but it also brings a certain risk. We will talk to Reece and send the best line-up on the field in both games.” That Weinzierl is forced to do so and willing to take certain risks in view of the tight personnel situation, he showed recently with the starting eleven nomination of Oxford and Gouweleeuw in Cologne – with success. “We have often been in the situation where we have done things that were on the borderline, but they all turned out well,” explains the coach.
He will definitely have to do without Felix Uduokhai (COVID-19) on Wednesday, while six-man Carlos Gruezo and strikers Florian Niederlechner and Alfred Finnbogason will also continue to be absent due to injuries. Andi Zeqiri will decide at short notice whether he will be able to play.
“Whoever beats Bayern … “
FCA are drawing confidence from the trend of recent weeks and the home win against FC Bayern in mid-November. “If you beat Bayern Munich, you also have the confidence to get something against RB Leipzig,” said Weinzierl. Leipzig are among the top three in the league in terms of potential, but have not been stable away from home this season. “If you let them play, if you leave spaces and they can play their speed, then they have an advantage. That’s what you have to avoid,” Weinzierl stressed.