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Kees van Wonderen: The DFB-Pokal is a huge competition
On Tuesday evening (29/10, 18:00 CET), the Royal Blues visit FC Augsburg in the second round of the DFB-Pokal. S04 have a busy week ahead, with a 2. Bundesliga away game against SSV Ulm also coming up on Friday (1/11).
There will only be around 72 hours between the two games – and Schalke also played host to SpVgg Greuther Fürth just three days before Tuesday’s match. “We’ve got some important games ahead of us and we’ll have to look at how to best manage our workload,” said head coach Kees van Wonderen. Rest and recovery will be the name of the game. “Then, we’ll see what physical condition the players are in and what will be possible for them.”
Ron Schallenberg picked up an issue against Fürth, while Bryan Lasme was injured in training on Friday and is currently sidelined. However, Christopher Antwi-Adjei will likely be able to return to team training this week. Captain Kenan Karaman, who missed out against Fürth due to suspension, is also back available. The team will travel south on Monday, and will remain there after the Pokal game to prepare for the match against Ulm. “That’s so we can use our time in the best possible way to continue working with the players and the staff,” explained van Wonderen.
A Bundesliga side with a strong home record
The Royal Blues have a difficult challenge ahead of them on Tuesday evening in Augsburg. The hosts have lost just one of their five Bundesliga home games so far, and reached this stage with a 4-1 first-round win at Regionalliga side Viktoria Berlin. FCA currently sit 12th in the table, and head coach Jess Thorup’s side have won all ten of their points so far at home. “Augsburg are very strong at home and play with high intensity. It’ll be very demanding for us,” said van Wonderen. “It’ll be a really interesting challenge for us, where we’ll be able to show what we’re capable of.”
The coach knows there are a still a lot of things to improve on after his first two competitive games as Schalke boss, but the 55-year-old Dutchman has been aware of the situation from day one. “We now have to keep working every day if we want to be successful. The players are also aware of the situation, so we need positive energy for us to improve in the important moments.” Training sessions are just as important as matches for this. “The Pokal is a huge competition,” said van Wonderen. “We’ve got a chance to show what we can do and take the next step as a team.”
