Eintracht Frankfurt will be without winger Ansgar Knauff when they take on Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final clash on Thursday.
The German-Ghanaian forward has been ruled out of the crucial encounter, with head coach Dino Toppmöller expressing disappointment over his unavailability while keeping hope alive for a swift return.
“At Ansgar we already had the hope that he could be there. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work,” Toppmöller revealed during the pre-match press conference. Turning his attention to the weekend’s Bundesliga fixture, he added: “We are trying everything towards Sunday and then seeing what it is.”
Knauff’s absence is a blow to Frankfurt’s plans, especially against a high-quality opponent like Spurs. However, Toppmöller remains optimistic about the depth in his squad.
“Ansgar is of course a bitter failure, but we have enough quality in the team,” he affirmed, backing his players to rise to the occasion.
While his availability for Sunday’s league match against FC Heidenheim is still uncertain, Frankfurt’s medical staff is working hard to ensure Knauff can return to action soon.
For now, all eyes are on Thursday night as Frankfurt aim to take a strong first-leg advantage despite the setback.
