Eintracht Frankfurt will face Tottenham Hotspur FC in the Europa League quarter-final first leg on Thursday without German Ghanaian winger Ansgar Knauff.
Coach Dino Toppmà broke the news, expressing disappointment but already looking ahead to a possible return for the Bundesliga showdown against FC Heidenheim on Sunday.
“At Ansgar, we already had the hope that he could be there. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work,” Toppmà shared during the pre-match press conference. Shifting focus to the weekend, he added, “We are trying everything towards Sunday and then seeing what it is.”
Knauff’s absence leaves Frankfurt with a challenge to secure a strong position for the second leg, but Toppmà remains confident.
“Ansgar is of course a bitter failure, but we have enough quality in the team,” he said, rallying his squad for the task ahead.
Whether Knauff can suit up against Heidenheim remains up in the air, but the team is pushing hard to get him back on the pitch.