Door open for Timothy Chandler start against Union?
The surprise scorer of four goals in a four-match-stretch last season has barely featured for Eintracht Frankfurt this year.
SGE trainer Adi Hütter may nevertheless look to dust off an old hand against FC Union Berlin this weekend.
SGE trainer Adi Hütter may nevertheless look to dust off an old hand against FC Union Berlin this weekend.
| Timothy Chandler. | Photo: IIJ Events / CC-BY-SA-2.0 |
The dual German-US international who earned so much praise and admiration from his teammates during his form surge last year has, thus far, been kept out of the position in the SGE XI where he so unexpectedly thrived some twelve months ago.
Another surprise veteran comebacker, Erik Durm, has functioned well on the right Eintracht attacking flank. Aymen Barkok has also often worked well on the wings, though he was far more productive deputizing for Filip Kostic on the left.
Injuries and suspensions may open the door back up for Chandler this weekend. Durm has been ruled out indefinitely with a hip flexor. Further injury problems on the right (fullback Almamy Touré's absence) look to cause further headaches for Eintracht's Austrian head-coach.
A three-man backline remains Hütter's preferred deployment. Even this may not be possible as the rightward-slanted center-halve, Lucas Silva "Tuta" Melo, must sit the upcoming encounter out on yellow-card accumulation. Amin Younes is suspended on the same grounds.
Bundesliga watchers will hence observe something creative and interesting tactics-wise from the SGE this round. Given Daichi Kamada's struggles on the right this past weekend, it is unlikely that the Japanese international will retain his placement.
While Barkok and Steven Zuber are still candidates for the wings, Chandler could conceivably serve on the back-line. Defensive anchor Martin Hinteregger remains questionable due to a fascia strain.
Hütter desperately needs experience in defense. The most straightforward option would be to move captain Makoto Hasebe back to pair with the very in-form Stefan Ilsanker at center-back. Chandler and Evan N'dicka would then work as the fullbacks in a back-four.