Sinsheim (Germany) (AFP) – Hoffenheim will be without centre back and club captain Kevin Vogt for their historic home Champions League clash against Manchester City on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old sat out Saturday’s 2-1 league defeat at home to RB Leipzig to rest a persistent thigh problem, which has not responded as hoped and he misses the first home Champions League game in the club’s history.
“Kevin Vogt thought he might have been okay after the game on Saturday, but the doctor took a lot of fluid out of the muscle and he’s out,” said Hoffenheim coach Julian Nagelsmann.
The 31-year-old Nagelsmann is the youngest head coach in Champions League history and already has a point in Group F after drawing 2-2 at Shakhtar Donestk a fortnight ago, while Man City lost 2-1 at home to Lyon.
“Manchester City will be very strong, we have to play well and brave, the two teams aren’t the same level – that’s not a secret,” said Nagelsmann.
“City are used to playing with a high percentage of possession and we will need to change that if we are to get a goal.”
Hoffenheim’s stand-in captain Oliver Baumann said a second straight defeat would put Pep Guardiola’s Premier League giants under huge pressure.
“They have probably got a bit more to lose, we have one point, while they lost at home to Lyon, but we really shouldn’t think like that,” said Baumann, Hoffenheim’s goalkeeper.
“It’s a good yardstick to play against a team like that, it will be hard enough and the main thing is to focus on our game plan.”
