VfL Wolfsburg goes into its last game of the season with a severely weakened squad. Coach Ralph Hasenhüttl will now also have to do without Joakim Maehle and Tiago Tomas against Mainz 05. The setup becomes a real challenge.
End of season: Tiago Tomas (left) and Joakim Maehle will be missing from VfL Wolfsburg against Mainz. picture alliance/dpa
Ralph Hasenhüttl will have to think. The coach doesn’t want to make any “experiments” before the end of the season on Saturday (3:30 p.m., LIVE! on kicker) against Mainz, who are threatened with relegation. He’ll only make the changes “that have to be made.”
The biggest construction site is the defensive midfield, where, after the absences of Yannick Gerhardt (torn hamstring), Mattias Svanberg (shoulder surgery), Aster Vranckx (calf injury) and Kofi Amoako, who suffered a syndesmosis injury, director Lovro Majer is expected to be on the side will be moved by Captain Maximilian Arnold. But that’s not all, according to kicker information, the personnel concerns before the last game of the season became even greater.
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Maehle has it on his shoulder
Joakim Maehle, who can be used on both defensive flanks and, if necessary, in central midfield, as was the case recently in Munich (0:2), is also out with shoulder problems. Likewise Tiago Tomas, who would have come into question as Majer’s replacement as a hanging leader. The Portuguese are suffering from muscular problems.
Hasenhüttl has to improvise. Finally, left-back Rogerio (meniscus operation) and attackers Lukas Nmecha (hamstring injury) and Dzenan Pejcinovic (fractured metatarsal) are also unavailable.
U-19 players are there against Mainz
The Wolfsburg squad will be filled with players from the U19 for the season finale. 17-year-old Bennit Bröger is reportedly there, and 18-year-old Norwegian central defender Anders Börset will also be on the bench for the first time in the Bundesliga. Coach Hasenhüttl takes it as it comes. He emphasizes: “The game is important to say goodbye to the season on a positive note. We definitely want to win the last home game against the team of the moment.”
2024-05-17 15:29:46
#Wolfsburgs #personnel #shortage #Mainz #Maehle #Tiago #Tomas
