Thorup: ”We want to take that next step”
Away to 1. FC Köln on matchday 10
First Team
02.11.2023, 15:38
FC Augsburg travel to face 1. FC Köln on Saturday (15:30 CET) and are looking to maintain their focus against the Bundesliga’s 17th-placed side.
FCA head coach Jess Thorup has been on the winning side in his first two games (5-2 vs. Heidenheim, 3-2 against Wolfsburg), however lots of work has been done on his side’s defensive play during training this week. “Köln have made more crosses than any other team in the league, so we’ll need to be alert to them,” said the 53-year-old Dane, who, as always, would like to focus on his team’s own strengths.
After Felix Uduokhai was shown a second yellow card and given his marching orders against Wolfsburg, Thorup will be forced into making changes to his side. However, the head coach opted not to confirm who will take the 26-year-old defender’s place in the back four. “We’ve got a lot of good centre backs in our squad – I'd like to take a closer look at who fits best for the game,” explained Thorup, who wants to achieve the first shutout of the season against Köln. “We’re working really hard on it,” continued the Dane.
Demirović and Mbabu able to play a part
Alongside Uduokhai, Arne Maier will also be unable to take part in Saturday’s fixture. The 24-year-old midfielder sustained an ankle ligament injury in training this week and will be out for around four weeks. In addition to this, David Čolina has a slight knee issue, but Ermedin Demirović and Kevin Mbabu, who recently picked up a knock, are fit enougjh to feature.
“We’re not looking at the table, but instead we’re looking to take that next step. The most important game is always the next one – and we want to win it,” explained Thorup. FCA currently find themselves in tenth place on 11 points, with opponents Köln on just four points. In their last home game, Effzeh, who were eliminated from the DFB-Pokal following a 3-2 defeat in Kaiserslautern, won 3-1 against rivals Gladbach.
1,500 fans are expected to make the journey to Cologne to support the team this weekend.
