FSV Mainz 05 started preparations for the continuation of the season in the Bundesliga without a quartet.
Jonathan Burkardt (knee operation), Karim Onisiwo (bruised toe), Anton Stach (punched foot) and Stefan Bell (torn muscle fiber) were absent from the first training session of the year. All four should fly to the training camp in Marbella on Wednesday.
“Jonny is well on the rehab plan. It will take time, but he’s making progress. It’s important that he’s 100 percent available to us as soon as possible. Whether that’s at the first game in Stuttgart or a little later, is not that important. Rather, it has to look good in his knee, so we have to build it up slowly,” said FSV coach Bo Svensson about U21 national player Burkardt.
Things are looking a little better for the other three players. Svensson assumes that Stach, Onisiwo and Bell can take part in the preparations at the training camp. There, the Mainz coach mainly wants to work on the conclusion and a better defense. “The fact is that we were often in promising positions offensively, but we didn’t make enough goals from our chances. Defensively we just allowed too much and conceded more goals than last season,” said Svensson.