Gisdol's Köln get two strikers, and possibly captain Hector, back in time for weekend fixture
Köln trainer Markus Gisdol had some cheerful news to report on during his Friday press conference. For the first time this season, two of his primary attackers could be considered match fit. In addition to that, his team captain might be back in time for Saturday's encounter.
| Anthony Modeste. | Photo: Marco Verch, CC BY-SA 2.0 |
Head-coach Markus Gisdol does maintain other options, however. Summer acquisition trained without difficulty this week, meaning he could once again claim his starting role as the team's lead striker. Moreover, veteran center-forward Anthony Modeste also participated in the team's training sessions without difficulty this week. The 32-year-old Frenchman has struggled with a plethora of injury setbacks this season.
Gisdol noted that only Florian Kainz and Rafael Czichos had been explicitly ruled out of the next fixture. Everyone else stands ready for selection. This includes long-absent team captain Jonas Hector, whom Gisdol trusts to make his own decision as to whether he can play.
"In the final analysis, it will be our captain who decides," Gisdol said at the presser, "I can rely on his opinion 100 percent."
Die Geißböcke square off against one of the league's other threatened teams. Die Nullfünfter have been on a decent run-of-form, earning their first league-win of the campaign against Freiburg in round eight, then holding a superior Hoffenheim squad to a draw in round nine. Unfortunately, a good fight-back in the second-half against Bielefeld last week still left the Rheinhessen on the wrong end of a 1-2 defeat.
