SEOANE AHEAD OF #BMGFCH: “SPURRED ON BY THE FANS’ SUPPORT”

Gerardo Seoane answered journalists’ questions in the press conference ahead of Tuesday’s second-round DFB-Pokal tie against 1. FC Heidenheim (20:45 CET). Here are his most important quotes.

...on the squad situation: Nobody got injured at the weekend. I assume that all the lads who played will also be fit for tomorrow. The only question mark is Marvin Friedrich, who missed Saturday's game. We'll have to see how he fairs in training today to then make a call on whether he's ready to play tomorrow. I’m not going to say whether I’ll make changes to the team that ran out on Saturday. We always try to pick the best possible line-up to put in a successful performance in the game.

...on last weekend’s Bundesliga match against Heidenheim: I think we dominated the game for the first 60 minutes and we also didn't give them space to play. We aim to do the same on Tuesday and in the games after that. That being said, we noticed that Heidenheim changed their system at the end of the game and we didn't manage to control the match after that. We’ve got to improve in that aspect and find better solutions.

...on the support from the fans: A special thanks goes out to our fans for their fantastic support on Saturday, especially in the final 15 minutes! We were spurred on by their encouragement at the end of the game and they motivated us to go into challenges and win headers with even more determination.

...a possible appearance forManu Koné: Manu is able to play in the DFB-Pokal, so he’lldefinitely be part of the squad tomorrow. He brings important qualities and energy. We just have to decide on what role he'll play tomorrow.

...the development of FabioChiarodia: We're pleased with how Fabio Chiarodia is developing. Moving away from home is always a big step for a young player, but he's settled in well. He’s made a lot of progress, which is why he made his Bundesliga debut for us on Saturday. Although he still lacks the experience, which is important for a centre-half, Fabio possesses all the qualities to play an important role for us in the future: he's quick, tall, strong in challenges and passes well.