A miserable start to the season continues for Hannover 96, with news coming that they will lose midfielder Edgar Prib for around 10-12 weeks.
Prib picked up the injury during the first half of Hannover's 2-0 defeat away at Augsburg, in which they failed to build on just the one point they have tallied through the four games prior. The injury is described as a partial rupture of the anterior in his left ankle, and will see him sidelined for up to three months.
Prib had featured in the four games leading up to the Augsburg game, playing a central midfield role just in front of Salif Sané and alongside Oliver Sorg.
Opportunities to impress?
The injury does however mean that Frontzeck, the H96 boss, can call upon his squad for a replacement, with chances to prove worth up for grabs.
Kenan Karaman is the most likely candidate to take over the starting role, and it was he who came on for Prib in the game against Augsburg when the injury had been diagnosed as too serious to continue. The Turkish midfielder Karaman has appeared four times in the five league games for Hannover this season, and possesses a similar skillset to Prib, focusing on being an agile midfielder who occupies the link between defence and attack.
He graduated from Hannover II last year at the age of 20, and is a promising player who could fast become part of Frontzeck's plans.
Compounding the misery
As aforementioned, it has been nothing short of a disastrous start to the season for Hannover, who upon reflection are lucky to be in the Bundesliga at all following last season's Rückrunde plummet. After salvaging a 2-2 draw against Darmstadt on opening day, they have lost four straight, conceding ten goals in those four game.
Wednesday night presents a chance for a first win with a home game against Stuttgart, but they will need to be firing on all cylinders in order to beat a disciplined and at times fluid VfB side.
