The champions are expected to miss no less than eleven players. Maurits Kjaergaard (shoulder), Sekou Koita, Aleksa Terzic, Samson Baidoo, Fernando (all adductors), Dijon Kameri (glutes), Oumar Solet, Bryan Okoh, Lukas Wallner (all thighs) and Andreas Ulmer (ankle) are missing. There is also Nicolas Capaldo, who is suffering from the effects of a concussion suffered in the 0-0 draw against Austria. Salzburg is also worried about the use of cold midfielder Mads Bidstrup.
The offensive players Karim Konate and Oscar Gloukh will only return from their national teams on Friday. At least central defender Kamil Piatkowski is back, but he still has some catching up to do after his calf injury. The German U21 team player Leandro Morgalla would be an alternative.
Chance for second row
According to Struber, only five players from the A squad were available during the international break. The training sessions were filled with players from Liefering. Struber was concerned about the many injuries, as he revealed: “That gives us a lot to think about. But we’re investing an incredible amount to get the players back soon.”
Schedule and table
Admiral Bundesliga, 15. Round
Start at 5 p.m.:
Salzburg – Hartberg
Wals-Siezenheim, Red Bull Arena, SR Untergasser
Possible lineups:
Salzburg: Schlager – Dedic, Piatkowski, Pavlovic, Guindo – Gourna-Douath – Sucic, Gloukh, Forson – Simic, Ratkov
Hartberg: Sallinger – Heil, Compost, Bowat, Pfeifer – Diakite – Long, Avdijaj, Sangare, Prokop – Entrup
Struber now has the chance for other players to show off. “And I’ll give them this chance too,” said the Salzburg native. Despite everything, they want to “stay true to the intensive training and the strenuous style of play” in the busy program – the away game in the Champions League at Real Sociedad is on Wednesday.
Close duel in the cup with Salzburg
Salzburg won twelve of the 13 league duels with Hartberg, with a 2-2 draw in Hartberg on December 14th. However, the Styrians are currently only five points behind the “Bulls”. In the Cup round of 16, the favorite only prevailed on penalties away from home three weeks ago.
“But that was a knockout game, a different situation,” said Struber. “Conversely, we solved the first game in Hartberg confidently,” he said, referring to the 5-1 win in the fourth round. Since then, TSV has “developed well. They have a skill level and are defined by possession of the ball.”
Hartberg doesn’t go on a trip
Hartberg coach Markus Schopp said that the effort in the two games against the “Bulls” was not rewarded. “We played a really good game in the cup and over long stretches in the championship. But we lost and were eliminated from the cup.”
For Saturday he thinks “that we are really well prepared and that my team is not going to Salzburg to enjoy the moment, but to play a good game.” If we can “bring that to the pitch for 90 minutes, What we have largely achieved in the first two games, then it can be a wonderful day for TSV Hartberg.”
