“Great to have Christo available again!”

RB Leipzig prepare to travel to VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday (15:30 CET),as they get set to take on the league’s seventh-placed side.

Ahead of the game, head coach Marco Rose spoke about VfL’s strengths, Christopher Nkunku’s comeback and the sad loss of Tim Lobinger.

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Read on for all the key quotes from today’s pre-match press conference.  
 

Team news:

• Konrad Laimer has recovered from his adductor issue and is an available for selection against Vfl Wolfsburg.
   
• Christopher Nkunku did well in training this past week and will return to the matchday squad for the first time since his injury.
   
• Willi Orban is back to full fitness following his stem cell donation and will be in the squad to face Wolfsburg. 
   

Find all the latest RBL team news here.

MARCO ROSE ON…

… VfL’s strengths and key players: 

• “They have developed an identifiable style of play under Niko Kovac and they know exactly what to do. VfL are a hard-working side who are defined by the intensity of their runs and sprints when they don’t have possession. They also have a lot of individual talent.

  Jonas Wind knows how to play and he’s their target man in the box, although he’s also able to drop back into midfield. He can’t only be counted on to score, but also to help dictate the flow of the game. Maxi Arnold is a real leader, one that every coach wishes they had in their team. VfL have a lot of pace on both wings with Paulo Otavio and Ridle Baku. They are a very strong team with big goals.

  We will need to deliver a strong performance tomorrow, as always.” 

   

… taking their chances in front of goal: 

• “We didn’t have many chances to shoot in our last game. It was more about trying to create chances. I obviously expect my strikers to get into the right positions to score goals. It’s not always easy. However, it’s not about focusing only on scoring goals, but rather on the entire process of creating chances to do so.

  Overall, we’re not far off, but we still aren’t happy with the results and how we’re playing. I think we’re struggling for it to come naturally at the moment. We need to find that feeling again and also create options for ourselves. We did a great job of that for long periods this season already – now, we need to build on it.”
   

MARCO ROSE on…

… Christopher Nkunku:

• “It’s great for us that Christo is available again. There’s not many players in the world that are as talented as he is. Christo does things that you can’t expect, because he’s an impact player and immensely talented. Hopefully, he will be able to help us this weekend.

  He’s got a good feel for when to make a run and can carry the ball into those one-v-one situations. He adds a lot to our game, and his absence has been felt by all of us. However, Christo has been sidelined for several months now. He will need some time until he’s back to feeling 100% again.”

   

.… going the extra mile: 

• “I can’t find any grounds on which to criticise the lads for their mindset and body language. It’s natural to go searching for reasons when you do lose a game.

  It’s important that we ask self-critical questions. We need the desire to want to go the extra mile, especially in Wolfsburg.”

   

… communicating with the players: 

• “We talk a lot with the team and we also seek out the players for individual discussions. Performance is often tied to your mentality. We’re not in any immediate danger, but we do know how tight things are in the table.

  Our ambitions are high and my job as the head coach is to make sense of things and to address them openly and honestly.”
   

MARCO ROSE ON…

… Dani Olmo:

• “Dani Olmo is exactly where he should be in terms of his recovery. He loves football and his identity is tied to being out on the pitch. We’re working to get him back to full fitness and to make sure that he stays injury-free.”

   

… Yussuf Poulsen:

• “I have the utmost respect for Yussuf Poulsen! Whenever I faced Leipzig with another club, we always had our work cut out for us against him because of his strengths as a player, his physicality, aerial prowess and his dangerous presence in front of goal.

  He had a tough time during the winter break, which is why he didn’t start the last few games. The last weeks have been good. He has been able to perform well in training and has also been able to play for several minutes in our games. For Yussi, it’s about getting consistency back into his performances, both in games and in training.” 

   

… David Raum: 

• „David Raum is a very reliable player against the ball. He has been able to really help us out with his dynamic nature and his mentality. Since his injury, he has been able to take all the right steps to be where he is. He’s a player who needs time in training as well as a routine.

  Marcel Halstenberg has done a solid job at his position, but David is also finding his way back to good form.”

   

… the news of Tim Lobinger’s passing:

“The team worked together with Tim for a long time. We are all deeply saddened and extend our heartfelt condolences to his friends and family.”