Farke ahead of #BMGSGE: “If needed, we’d get our bus driver to play!”

Head coach Daniel Farke and sporting director Roland Virkus spoke to the media ahead of Saturday’s home game against Eintracht Frankfurt (18:30 CEST). Read on for a summary of all the key information from today’s press conference.

Daniel Farke on…

…the squad for Saturday: As it stands, none of our players with long-term injuries will return before the winter break. Yann Sommer and Jonas Hofmann are also currently both out injured. Yann has suffered a ligament tear affecting the joint-capsule in his ankle. It’s difficult to predict when he might be able to return. Things are looking good for Jonas Hofmann. We hope that he will be able to return before the winter break, but also need to see what his pain threshold is. Stefan Lainer has caught a stomach bug and will be unavailable this weekend. Christoph Kramer returned to team training for the first time today. We need to wait and see how his body reacts to the workload, but it’s looking good.

…the view from the Gladbach camp ahead of the game due to the current number of injured players: We’re playing against one of the Bundesliga’s in-form teams. We’re not the favourites going into the match. But, one thing is certain: as long as I see that we have players like Tobias Sippel, Patrick Herrmann, Tony Jantschke, Lars Stindl or Christoph Kramer, then there’s no need to worry. I don’t have any doubts about our squad, and they will stick together with the fans even through tough situations. If we were to lose three more players to injuries, then we’d simply have to tell our bus driver that he’s playing – we would still have a team that’s willing to fight and throw their bodies behind the ball.

…Eintracht Frankfurt: They are a really strong team and are one of the Bundesliga’s in-form sides. They are ahead of us in the table, so we’re up against a top team. I'm a fan of their football. They have a well-balanced squad with a lot of good players. Eintracht are strong on the ball, and you can clearly see how they want to play. It will be a tough challenge, but we’re looking forward to it.

…Manu Koné’s performance so far: Manu is a great person and a very talented footballer. He can help take our game to a new level. What he’s missing in order to perform consistently to the best of his abilities is a bit of age and experience. We’re working on that with him. I think he pairs well with Julian Weigl in midfield. Jule is tactically smart and plays good passes, while Manu brings physicality and pace. It’s a good mix.

…the importance of players like Lars Stindl, Patrick Herrmann and Tony Jantschke: Lars, Patrick and Tony are fantastic characters. They have really absorbed what we stand for at this club and are great representatives of what it means to be Borussia within the dressing room. They are incredibly important to us, based on what they contribute to the team.

...the criticism leveled at the club: Our current situation is nothing to complain about. We have only played on bad half of football, and that was in Bremen. We are having a solid season and are ahead of clubs like Dortmund, Leipzig or Leverkusen, who have vastly different financial constraints than we do, which is why I don’t understand some of the criticism that comes our way.

…the importance of the fans: Our fans are doing a great job. They see how hard we’re working and let us know they appreciate it. They are truly one of a kind, and have a great feeling for what’s needed in different situations. I’m convinced that they will be behind us once again on Saturday. We need this unity and spirit.

Roland Virkus on…

…the current situation: We’re in the middle of a process right now. We will likely suffer a few set-backs still in the course of the season, but overall, we’re on the right path. Of course we’re not happy with being knocked out of the DFB-Pokal. The first 20 minutes weren’t good, and the team reacted well but didn’t have luck on our side. We need to put the game behind us and focus on the Bundesliga and Frankfurt.

…potential contract extensions for Stindl, Kramer and Jantschke: They are three key figures within our team. Of course, we're in discussions about contracts, including with Lars Stindl, Tony Jantschke and Christoph Kramer. The talks are very open and honest and we're trying to find good solutions.

…contracts set to run out in summer 2023, including those of Ramy Bensebaini, Marcus Thuram and Yann Sommer: We made very good offers to Marcus Thuram, Ramy Bensebaini and Yann Sommer. They weren’t only based on financial motivations, as we outlined our vision. Now it's up to them to decide what they want to do.