Baumgart adds Ljubicic, Obuz, Lemperle, Schindler and potentially Skhiri to list of players out
FC Köln trainer Steffen Baumgart had more injury news to deliver at his Friday presser.
It had been known since midweek that winger Florian Kainz and squad captain would be unavailable for Köln's Sunday fixture against Borussia Dortmund. On Thursday, Köln further divulged that attacking midfielder Dejan Ljubicic was also feeling too ill to participate.
Speaking at his Friday presser, Geißböcke trainer Steffen Baumgart added young attackers Tim Lemperle and Marvin Obuz had also been ruled out due to illness. The cathedral city club will also have to do without last week's game winning goalscorer Kingsley Schindler, who will miss this weekend's encounter for personal reasons.
More bad news came in the form of a possibly serious injury suffered by talismanic midfielder Ellyes Skhiri. The Tunisian international had to break off training shortly before the press conference. Baumgart noted that there is a suspicion of a muscle fiber tear and further examination had been ordered immediately.
"We'll get a squad together and don't want to make any excuses," Baumgart was quick to emphasize, "We're going to be playing in front of a full house and want to impose our game by playing boldly forward."
The 1-0 win against Leverkusen certainly provided the Domstädter with a tailwind. The cathedral city club is currently in seventh place on 39 points; only five points away from the European pack.
"We've put ourselves in a good position for the remaining eight games," the Kölner gaffer noted when asked about the table, "now we have to build on it."
When it came to the strong form of the NRW guests rolling into town, Baumgart noted that he, for one, was never a Dortmund doubter.
"Dortmund always play better than what is always written about them," he said, "They're the second-best team in the second half of the season. There's quality there. We'll show a good performance."