Europe: Champions League
FT
1 - 2
(1 - 2)
RB Leipzig
Club Brugge
C. Nkunku (5)
H. Vanaken (22), M. Rits (40)
By Peter Weis@PeterVicey

Marsch declares three players fit for Brugge, hints at another start for Poulsen

During his pre-match presser, RB Leipzig coach Jesse Marsch confirmed that all Leipzig players (save Dani Olmo, Marcel Halstenberg, and the suspended Angelino) would be fit and available for the coming Champions' League match against Club Brugge. 

The American trainer also hinted that he would once again deploy his "Scandinavian power duo" of Yussuf Poulsen and Emil Forsberg against the Belgian Champions under the lights.
Jesse Marsch.
Jesse Marsch.Photo: GEPA Pictures/Kerstin Doelitzsch
Some 23,500 live fans (including 1,200 traveling Belgian supporters) are expected at Red Bull Arena this weekend for Leipzig's first home UCL match before a crowd since March 2020. RB fans haven't been allowed into the stadium to see their club compete in Europe since Julian Nagelsmann's side bested Jose Mourinho;s Tottenham Hotspur three days before the massive COVID global lockdown commenced.

Last year, club boosters even had to ship banners of support to Budapest as German travel restrictions prevented English teams from entering the Bundesrepublik over fear of what was then known as the "U.K. Variant". Hungary's Puskas Arena thus became something of a second home for German UCL participants Leipzig and Gladbach.

"We players are really looking forward to Champions' League Evenings with the spectators," club captain and keeper Peter Gulacsi noted at a Monday presser, "This season has already shown that fans play a big role. We play off the energy of the fans and will need it to get off the mark in the group."

The German Red Bulls certainly need all three points should they wish to maintain hopes of surviving what is unequivocally this year's "Group of Death". The Belgian Jupiler Pro League are by no means pushovers, but definitely RB's best shot at three points in a grouping that also features Manchester City and PSG.

As for the team supporters can hope to cheer on the pitch, the news is mostly good injury-wise. Dani Olmo and Marcel Halstenberg remain out with long term problems. Club trainer Jesse Marsch nevertheless confirmed that everyone else was fit.

Marsch skipped over some individual names. According to RBlive, the players completed individual training programs on Monday. US international Tyler Adams (withdrawn from this weekend's bench-squad at the last moment due to "muscular problems"), Josko Gvardiol (who had to be subbed off with his own "muscular problems), Amadou Haidara (after playing through a knock),

Left-back Angelino remains ineligible after picking up a yellow-red against former club Man City. That shouldn't pose too much of a problem as Marsch specifically declared Josko Gvardiol fit.

As for his newly rebuilt attack that absolutely destroyed league opponents Hertha Berlin over the weekend, Marsch dropped a strong hint that both Yussuf Poulsen and Emil Forsberg would be in the starting XI.

"With Emil and Yussi, we have two guys who have no ego and work for the team," Marsch said of his Scandinavian attackers, "They have a lot of experience and sent a clear signal that we have to invest a lot of confidence in them. They're fully ready."

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