We've researched some of the most important missing players this weekend throughout Europe’s biggest leagues.
Swansea v Bournemouth – Saturday 15:00
Tammy Abraham (FW), Swansea; Jordan Ibe (RW) and Junior Stanislas (LW), Bournemouth
Abraham’s 20 shots from inside the box is more than double the amount of any other Swansea player and it’s contributed to him scoring four of their seven matches this season but he’s a doubt this weekend with a back spasm. Bournemouth players have contributed just four assists this season and three of those have come from Ibe and Stanislas but the former picked up a knock last week and the latter is struggling to be fit. Ibe has started five games this term and the Cherries have scored eight times with him as they’ve won the last three of those. Meanwhile they’ve managed just three strikes in their other seven games combined.
Only three teams’ matches have averaged fewer goals per game than Bournemouth’s this season and one of those is Swansea’s. With both sides’ attacks depleted Under 1.5 Goals looks a cracking price.
Koln v Hertha – Sunday 17:00, BT Sport ESPN
Marcel Risse (RW), Simon Zoller (FW), Marco Hoger (CM), Jonas Hector (LB), Frederik Sorensen (CB) and Dominique Heintz (CB), Koln
When you’ve got just two points from 12 games an injury crisis is the last thing you need but that’s what Koln are dealing with. Their two best centre-backs are both missing and in the seven matches Sorensen has missed since the start of last season they’ve conceded 2.43 goals per game – 1.2 gpg more than in his 39 starts. Heintz, meanwhile, has missed just five matches in this time. Risse, Hector and Hoger have been missing for a while now but are all undeniably important and in the 10 matches German international Hector has missed since the start of last term they’ve picked up just two points.
Hertha’s form isn’t that impressive either and a total of just three wins from 22 away games since the start of last season leaves plenty of room for improvement. However, they’ve won four of the six meetings between these teams in the past three seasons including this fixture twice and given the home side’s problems the away win looks a huge price.
Hannover v Stuttgart – Friday 19:30, BT Sport 3
Chadrac Akolo (RW), Anastasios Donis (FW) and Daniel Ginczek (FW), Stuttgart
Akolo and Ginczek were injured last week and are set to miss a few games while Donis has already been out for a month. Akolo is their leading scorer with four goals this term and Ginczek is one of only two others to have more than one, while Donis has taken their most shots along with Akolo. In the four matches Akolo has missed they’ve failed to score three times, with just six goals in the four games combined – one of which was scored by Akolo off the bench.
Hannover’s last six matches have all had at least three goals but Bremen, Leipzig and Dortmund in their last three represent opponents with far stronger ‘overs’ trends than Stuttgart and their opening nine games averaged less than two goals per game. Against a Stuttgart side that have lost all six of their away matches and are significantly weakened in attack the Hannover Win to Nil, Hannover Clean Sheet and Under 2.5 Goals all make a massive appeal – we’ll take the clean sheet here.
