A shoulder injury means Xavi Simons is touch and go for RB Leipzig’s meeting with Heidenheim on Saturday {kick-off: 3.30pm CET).
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Xavi has been in superlative form since swapping Paris Saint-Germain for Leipzig on loan in the summer, with four goals and seven assists from his 12 Bundesliga games so far. He has also impressed in Europe, with two and two in each column helping Leipzig into the knock-out stages of the UEFA Champions League alongside European champions Manchester City. Xavi fell on his shoulder in the most recent meeting with Pep Guardiola’s side, and made way for Yussuf Poulsen late on. Whilst the club have confirmed it isn’t serious, the Dutchman may not be risked with Emil Forsberg and Christoph Baumgartner on hand to occupy the wide attacking positions. Loïs Openda – who scored a brace in the 3-2 loss to City – will lead the line, with Poulsen or Benjamin Šeško for company, with Timo Werner still struggling with a muscular injury.
Leipzig begin the day in fifth, eight places and 12 points better off than their visitors, who have nonetheless impressed since their shock promotion to the German top flight last summer. Heidenheim have beaten Werder Bremen, Union Berlin and VfB Stuttgart in their maiden top-flight campaign, and held Bochum to a goalless draw last time out. Former Borussia Dortmund academy player Lennard Maloney has earned his first cap for the USMNT, while fellow former BVB youngster Jan-Niklas Beste has been their biggest goal-threat with five goals and four assists so far. Eren Dinkçi, their next-best attacker, is suspended for this one, however.
Watch: An exclusive interview with Xavi
Match stats
- Openda is Leipzig’s most potent attacking force this season with nine goals and three assists in the Buundesliga.
- Xavi is only one direct goal-involvement behind with four and seven of each in the German top-flight – impressive considering he starts a line deeper than the Frenchman.
- Leipzig won their most recent meeting with Heidenheim 3-1 in March 2016, when the teams were still in Bundesliga 2.
- Heidenheim’s overall balance against Saturday’s opponents is respectable, though, with one win and a draw across their other two meetings.
- Maloney has covered 149.3km in the Bundesliga this season, the second-most league-wide after Eintracht Frankfurt’s Ellyes Skhiri.
- Germany-born Maloney is the first Heidenheim player ever to win senior international recognition.
- Beste’s goal-involvements have come every 104 minutes he has played.
Probable teams
Leipzig: Blaswich – Henrichs, Simakan, Castello, Raum – Baumgartner, Schlager, Kampl (c), Forsberg – Openda, Poulsen
Out: Bitshiabu (knee), Olmo (shoulder), Orban (knee), Werner (muscular)
Doubtful: Xavi (shoulder)
Coach: Marco Rose
Heidenheim: Müller – Traoré, Mainka (c), Gimber, Föhrenbach – Maloney – Pick, Schöppner, Theuerkauf, Beste – Kleindienst
Out: Dinkçi (suspended), Keller (knee), Qenaj (knee)
Doubtful: –
Coach: Frank Schmidt
