RB Leipzig resumed training on Tuesday with a severely depleted squad ahead of the return to competitive action. Head coach Martín Demichelis has just 14 players from the 29-man senior squad available for the next phase of preparations.
The international break has taken a heavy toll on the squad. David Raum, Willi Orbán and Antonio Nusa, who is currently the team's top scorer with two goals this season, are not due back until the start of next week. A further five players are sidelined through injury, including Assan Ouédraogo following shoulder surgery and Marc Guiu who is expected to miss several weeks.
Comebacks in individual training
Several players are using the time to work on their returns. Castello Lukeba and Rocco Reitz are already back at Cottaweg and could take part in sections of team training this week. Christoph Baumgartner continues with his individual programme. For support, five U19 players including Manuel Abbey and Taito Kanda joined the first-team session.
Martín Demichelis said a friendly "would make little sense given the number of players away with their countries and the club's injury situation". The focus is instead on training for the demanding sequence of matches ahead.
Looking at the upcoming tasks
RB Leipzig, currently ninth in the Bundesliga with six points, host tenth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt on 10 October. Just three days later, the Champions League home match against PSV Eindhoven follows. The team aims to move on from a run of three consecutive away defeats, most recently the 2-0 loss at Bayer Leverkusen, and build on the 5-0 victory over Hamburg.
More detail at sports.yahoo.com
