Wolfsburg vs Nurnberg Preview

Wolfsburg vs Nurnberg Preview

Zvjezdan Misimovic is a doubt for Wolfsburg's game against Nurnberg after he returned from international duty with a sprained knee.

The midfielder was forced to miss Bosnia-Herzegovina's World Cup play-off second leg against Portugal on Wednesday due to the injury, which is unlikely to heal by tomorrow afternoon.

"Zvjezdan has only just arrived back and will undergo tests, but it looks tight for Saturday," admitted coach Armin Veh.

Veh is also awaiting the returns of Makoto Hasebe from Japan and Karim Ziani from Algeria while Paraguay midfielder Jonathan Santana, like Misimovic, came back injured.

"I really cannot say what the team is going to look like because we have not trained together for a fortnight," added Veh, whose side is unbeaten in their last seven matches.

"It is going to be a tough game, not only because of the international break.

"Nurnberg will try to be compact and wait for chances on the counter-attack and we will probably find little room and have to be patient and take our chances."

Veh may also have one eye on Wednesday's Champions League trip to CSKA Moscow, knowing that a draw in that game would be enough to seal his side's passage to the knockout stages of the competition.

However, he will not sacrifice three Bundesliga points tomorrow.

"We do know how meaningful this game is because a home win would establish us among the top teams," he added.

"And we will try with all our might to achieve that."

Nurnberg arrive having been set a target of six points from their remaining five matches in 2009 to satisfy president Franz Schafer.

A win tomorrow would take them halfway to that goal and coach Michael Oenning doesn't see why his side cannot take all three points at the VW-Arena.

"I am travelling to Wolfsburg with a very optimistic feeling," he said. "We are training well at the moment and, with a bit of luck, we can beat Wolfsburg."

Oenning had fewer players away on international duty over the last fortnight and has almost a fully-fit squad to choose from.


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