Kickoff in the DFB Pokal - Rapp is a swing candidate at the KSC because of muscle problems.
Defensive player Nicolai Rapp threatens to miss the first round of the German Cup for second division football club Karlsruhe SC. The 27-year-old is still suffering from muscle problems in the first training sessions of this week, which puts his appearance against regional league side Sportfreunde Lotte on Sunday (6:00 PM/Sky) in doubt.
New signing Robin Heußer would certainly be a replacement candidate. But Dzenis Burnic could also take over Rapp's role, then moving Bambasé Conté into the starting lineup, said KSC coach Christian Eichner. "But it could also involve a system change, where we sacrifice one position and switch to a diamond formation." The decision will be made at short notice.
Besides a "very, very long bus ride", the KSC coach expects a third-placed team of the Regionalliga West in Lotte, which will present itself in best form after three wins in three games. "The differences are not that big, we know that. And therefore, we will go onto the field against Lotte on Sunday highly concentrated," said Eichner.
The additional income of 418,906 euros for reaching the second round could be useful for the Badeners. The club is still looking for another striker.
The sky was clearly visible from the team bus as it embarked on the "very, very long bus ride." During the team meeting, coach Eichner mentioned that the decision about replacing Nicolai Rapp would be made at short notice, affecting the team's formation strategy.
