FC Köln hit by striker crisis as Imad Rondic sidelined

1. FC Köln head into their Bundesliga fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, facing a mounting crisis at center-forward as Imad Rondic joins a growing injury list, Express reported. Kickoff at Deutsche Bank Park is set for 8:30 p.m. local time (20:30 UTC+2).

Rondic Sustains Thigh Injury Ahead of Frankfurt Trip

The 27-year-old Bosnian striker picked up a thigh injury during training on Wednesday and was absent from the final tactical session at the Franz-Kremer-Stadion on Thursday afternoon, Express reported. Rondic had only recently worked his way back into the squad under coach René Wagner, having spent the entire preseason training away from the main group while facing a potential departure from the club. Wagner reinstated the forward in early September following a late substitute appearance in a 4-1 defeat at VfB Stuttgart.

Strikers Sidelined as Wagner Recruits Youth Talent

Rondic’s setback compounds severe selection issues in the Köln attack. Thijs Dallinga is sidelined with a torn cruciate ligament, while Ragnar Ache remains out with a muscle injury. Ellyes Skhiri is unavailable due to an ankle injury, and Rav van den Berg is recovering from a muscle injury, according to Express and Bild. To cover the shortages for the Frankfurt fixture, Wagner promoted youth team defenders Luis Stapelmann and Assad Kotya-Fofana alongside midfielder Gil Neves to first-team training.

Wagner Deploys New Attacking Pair and Academy Call-Up

With three frontline center-forwards unavailable, Wagner indicated during preparations that he plans to deploy an attacking partnership featuring Marius Bülter and Said El Mala. Eighteen-year-old academy product Assad Kotya-Fofana earned his first-ever senior matchday squad call-up.

Breaking a Winless Run Away From Home

Köln enters the fixture riding high on morale following a 2-1 derby victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach. However, the club faces a daunting historical hurdle in Frankfurt: the team has not won an away match in the Bundesliga since October 2025, stretching a winless streak on the road across 15 games. Wagner and his squad aim to secure their first away victory in over a year under Friday night lights.