TEAM NEWS
Wurzburger Kickers midfielder Tobias Schrock is doubtful with the same toe complaint that kept him out of action on Matchday 11.
Franko Uzelac is once again the only player certain to miss out, but Junior Diaz could be dropped from defence after a couple of avoidable individual mistakes against Hannover last week.
Veteran St. Pauli midfielder Bernd Nehrig is suspended for this one after receiving a fifth yellow card against Nurnberg on Matchday 11.
Richard Neudecker made his first appearance of the season in that game so is available once more, but midfielder Ryo Miyaichi is unlikely to feature and he was substituted off with concussion on Monday evening. Philipp Ziereis and Aziz Bouhaddouz are the only other doubts.
Wurzburger Kickers:
Suspended: None
Doubtful: Schrock (toe)
Injured/Unavailable: Uzelac (foot)
St. Pauli:
Suspended: Nehrig (one game)
Doubtful: Bouhaddouz (ankle), Ziereis (thigh), Miyaichi (concussion)
Injured/unavailable: None
MATCH PREVIEW
Wurzburger Kickers only really have themselves to blame for the 3-1 defeat at Hannover on Matchday 11. Bernd Hollerbach's charges began strongly and deservedly took the lead, but a mistake by Junior Diaz – who looked far from his best – allowed the hosts back into it. Even after going 2-1 down Wurzburg could have salvaged a draw, only for Richard Weil to miss a 93rd-minute penalty.
Including their DFB Cup loss, that is now three successive defeats for the Kickers, whose back line is no longer as impenetrable as it was earlier in the season. They have been better on the road (ten points) than at home (W2 D1 L2) this term, but will be looking at this fixture as a chance to get back on track.
It will not be a walkover, however, if St. Pauli's performance in the 1-1 draw at home to in-form Nurnberg on Matchday 11 is anything to go by. Coach Ewald Lienen's charges were aggressive, energetic and surprisingly confident - despite being bottom of the table - and they could even have won the match given the number of chances created.
More displays like that and St. Pauli will soon move up the standings, but they will need to improve their away form sooner rather than later (W0 D1 L5). Scoring remains an issue – they have only hit the net eight times all season – but they will have taken heart from their Matchday 11 outing, so I think they should have enough to earn a draw here.
Head To Head
This match represents the first competitive meeting between Wurzburger Kickers and St Pauli.
