Henriksen praises Jenz's leadership qualities ahead of potential start
An injury to Norwegian central defender Andreas Hanche-Olsen may lead to the Berlin-native earning his first start in his debut for the Rheinhessen this weekend.
FSV Mainz 05 head into a Sunday fixture against SV Werder Bremen with one potentially big personnel problem in the back line. Norwegian international Andreas Hanche-Olsen is questionable with a neck injury following a collision with a teammate sustained over the international break. Should the 27-year-old be unable to go, FSV trainer Bo Henriksen will have to deal with a signifiant vacancy in his back-three. Speaking at his Friday presser, the FSV gaffer dropped hints that he might be considering a certain player.
Henriksen maintains plenty of options. Stefan Bell or the newly resurgent Maxim Leitsch can take Hanche-Olsen's place. A third option might see German defender Moritz Jenz - recently acquired on loan from Wolfsburg - make his debut for his new Bundesliga club as a starter. In terms that reminded one of his praise for squad captain Silvan Widmer, Henriksen lauded the player he tasked with captaining the team in an international break test fixture against Darmstadt. Jenz led Mainz to a 1-0 win over Darmstadt.
"I hope he [Hanche-Olsen][ plays," Henriksen first said of his ailing central defender, "He's an incredibly important player for us."
"[Jenz] counts as a signal-sending player," Henriksen continued, "and is an incredible presence in the locker room. I can tell that he's a good leader."