Injury Updates and Defensive Dilemmas: Toppmöller’s Decisions for Stuttgart Match

Hugo Ekitiké, who was recently injured, will return to the squad in Stuttgart, but Ellyes Skhiri’s appearance comes too early. It is unclear who coach Dino Toppmöller trusts on the right side of defense.

Coach Dino Toppmöller expects a lot from Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush (right) and Fares Chaibi this weekend. Getty Images

On Wednesday, Hugo Ekitiké started team training, held out at eleven-on-eleven and, according to Dino Toppmöller, coped well with the session. “We are confident that he can be back in the squad. We have to see whether he has enough for the starting eleven,” says the coach. He emphasizes: “It will be enormously helpful if this player is available to us in the coming weeks and can help us win games.”

Ekitiké was only good in training

Before his most recent adductor injury, Ekitiké was “really in a good mood” and left a “very good, lively, fit impression.” You didn’t see too much of it in the games. The Frenchman flashed his great talent here and there, but he was not yet a decisive factor in Eintracht’s game (no goal, one assist). The 21-year-old has it in his own hands to change this in the coming weeks.

Midfield strategist Ellyes Skhiri (calf injury), however, will definitely not play on Saturday evening. “That’s not enough, the risk would be too great that he would be completely out for the final spurt. Ellyes is being prepared so that he can play against Augsburg,” explains Toppmöller.

There is much to suggest that Hugo Larsson and Mario Götze will play in the double six.

Who should stop Führich? Buta trains “very well”

It is unclear who will line up at the back right instead of the suspended Tuta and will face Chris Führich. Nnamdi Collins is an option after his Bundesliga debut against Werder Bremen (1-1), but Aurelio Buta also has good chances – even though he didn’t even make it into the squad against Werder. “Aurelio trained very well this week and was there with a different focus. In a conversation I also explained to him why he wasn’t in the squad. Of course he’s an option,” says Toppmöller.

Buta is “one of the best one-on-one defenders,” says the coach. The 27-year-old’s tackle rate this season is a solid 53 percent. The bottom line is that Buta was too rarely convincing and therefore rightly lost his place in the team. In the first half of the season against Stuttgart, Buta remained far too passive before the decisive goal to make it 1-2, but Toppmöller still credited him with a “very, very good game”. This is probably a tactical statement.

The coach may even rely on Collins and Buta. However, that would only make sense if the four-man chain becomes a five-man chain when playing against the ball. Toppmöller likes to work with such mixed forms. In this case, Buta would take on the more offensive role and drop back when Stuttgart had the ball. Similar to the suspended Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe in the last game. It is also conceivable that Ansgar Knauff moves to the right offensive wing and Philipp Max (defensive) forms a duo with Niels Nkounkou (offensive) on the left.

Will Marmoush and Chaibi bloom again after Lent?

Toppmöller is hoping for an increase from Fares Chaibi and Omar Marmoush, who, like Skhiri, fasted during Ramadan. “Lent is over. You make a completely different, fresh impression in training and have a lot more power on the pitch. We want to see that in the next few weeks,” emphasizes the coach. One thing is clear: Eintracht can no longer afford many weak performances like last time, given the tight remaining program.

2024-04-11 16:19:00
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