Karlsruher SC's Daniel Gordon has been dealt a blow after receiving news that he will miss the next "four to six weeks" after suffering a partial tear of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee.
Another defensive injury
The Jamaican international went down just before the hour mark in his side's 2-0 win over MSV Duisburg, helping them to ease the pain of their opening two defeats. An awkward fall after winning a header caused the tear, which was revealed in an MRI Scan on Monday.
Not only does this, once again, disrupt the team's rhythm but, more specifically, that of the back four. The Wildparkstadion side are renown for keeping a similar side on the pitch from week to week, though Gordon's injury means that Markus Kauczinski will name a different defensive line-up for the fifth time in a row this season. This is hardly ideal for the club that are keen to keen to surpass last season's exploits and make a return to the Bundesliga.
It now looks likely that Manuel Gulde, who scored the second goal on Saturday, and Martin Stoll will be the defensive duo that will take against Eintracht Braunschweig this coming Sunday. Jan Mauersberger is also out with a bruised knee and it is doubtful as to whether he will be in the squad at the Eintracht-Stadion. Their injury woes should ease after that game, however, with the international break coming at just the right time.
Hoffer continues to give KSC hope
Despite the personnel problems, losing top-scorer Rouwen Hennings and the rough start, Erwin Hoffer's form has lightened the mood at the club. "At the moment things are going well now it's off to Braunschweig," he said. The Austrian scored in both of his last two games, including the winner against FSV Frankfurt, and seems set to take the burden of replacing Hennings on his shoulders.