Schalke 04 will have to do without Cedric Brunner against Stuttgart on Saturday. The right-back has to have his broken nose fixed.
Broke his nose against Union Berlin: Cedric Brunner.
IMAGO/Nordphoto
The month got off to a bloody start for Cedric Brunner. In the closing stages of the away game at Borussia Mönchengladbach on February 4 (0-0), he was hit by an elbow in the face, the result was a bloody lip and pieces of the tooth had splintered off. At the time, that was no reason for the Swiss to miss the next game: Six days later, the right-back was also part of the starting line-up for Schalke in the 0-0 draw against VfL Wolfsburg.
The home game against VfB Stuttgart on Saturday (6.30 p.m., LIVE! on kicker) has to take place without Brunner. He broke his nose on the zero number in Berlin on Sunday, and it has to be fixed now. Brunner will initially receive a face mask with which he should be available again next week against VfL Bochum.
Aydin as a possible alternative? – Uronen and Ouwejan are ailing
Mehmet Aydin recently came up as an alternative for the right-back position against Stuttgart. After his substitutions, he left an “energetic and controlled impression”, as sporting director Peter Knäbel puts it.
Coach Thomas Reis may also have to come up with something for the left-back against Stuttgart. Jere Uronen was substituted for Union with muscular problems. Nothing is cracked, but the Finn cannot take part in team training at the moment. The same applies to Thomas Ouwejan, who came on for Uronen but is now injured and was only able to practice individually on Tuesday. According to current knowledge, at least one of the two should be operational again by Saturday.
Schalke wants to “gild” the four draws
Maybe Soichiro Kozuki can be included in the squad again. Schalke’s only goal scorer so far this calendar year (1: 6 against RB Leipzig) was in training before the game at Union Berlin in a press blow with his ankle, the ligaments got something. On Tuesday he completed a running unit. According to the club, Kozuki could be used again rather than Tim Skarke, who is suffering from a bruised foot.
Kozuki and Skarke were both out against Union, Reis had to muster a completely new wing tongs. Marius Bülter Came over the left, Dominick Drexler over the right – that didn’t work: Schalke remained harmless in attack. In the ten games under Reis, the Royal Blues have only managed three goals (but still scored seven points).
Hit number 4 should follow on Saturday – at least. The bottom of the table has firmly resolved to win against Stuttgart and thus “golden” the four zero numbers in a row against Cologne, Gladbach, Wolfsburg and Union, says Knäbel: In the current situation “the four points would only then be really valuable”.
