Two ligaments are torn.

Martin Hinteregger also feels pain in his shoulder.

But for the defense chief of Eintracht these are no reasons to take it easy and sit on the stands.

On the contrary.

On this Saturday too, Hinteregger will endeavor to ensure peace, stability and security at a central point.

"Our medical department has raised its thumbs," said coach Oliver Glasner on Thursday about Hinteregger's chances of playing against 1. FC Köln (Saturday 3:30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and on Sky).

Ralf Weitbrecht

Sports editor.

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So the Austrian is biting his teeth again to help his team.

In order to be halfway fit again, Hinteregger had already held back on Wednesday, the first and most intensive training session of the week.

On Thursday his compatriot Glasner took him out of practice.

“We gave him a day of rest,” said the Eintracht coach, who knows: He needs Hinteregger against FC - and he also needs a win, even though he didn't categorically demand it, just said: “We really want to win.

Recently we lost a lead three times, but we also caught up in the Europa League. "

The sporting situation of Eintracht could be better. Glasner knows that. But he also knows that the change for the better doesn't come at the push of a button. “We have to stay relaxed with all our concentration. We shouldn't say that we absolutely have to win. ”So the harmony between wanting and having to. In order to be halfway liberated in the preparation for Cologne, Glasner has dispensed with a fixed component of his work. After the 1-1 draw at VfL Wolfsburg, he hadn't shown his players any pictures on video. The analysis failed.

In order to get in the mood for the task against Cologne, you don't necessarily need moving images either. It is known that FC coach Steffen Baumgart managed to bring striker Anthony Modeste back to top form. The Frenchman is the guarantee for points and victories. The 33-year-old Modeste has already scored four goals. If Eintracht really wants to achieve the number one win of the season, they have to decisively disrupt the attacker's circles.

But not only this: the attack and positional play also requires new impulses.

“We need a better floor plan and we have to try to get control of the game through positional play.” Things that Glasner missed, especially in the second half at the away game in Wolfsburg.

Against 1. FC Köln, Glasner expects a “good challenge for us, with which we can simply do better,” as when we met the “Wolves” again.

So it shouldn't happen again that four Frankfurt offensive players are on one line.

"If the ball is lost, everyone is played out," said the Eintracht coach.

Lenz further injured

31,000 spectators could have been in the arena on Saturday, 25,000 will now in all probability be.

The Eintracht leadership has refrained from granting access only to vaccinated and convalescent people under the 2-G condition offered and approved by the health department.

The spectators who come will see Eintracht defend again with a back four, depending on the state of affairs.

On the left, the comeback of the injured Christopher Lenz is still a long way off.

Glasner does not expect the flank player who has moved from Berlin to Frankfurt to return until after the international break in October.

Erik Durm is again available for the right.

The player who was injured on Wednesday and ended training early with knee problems, but was back the day after, as Glasner confirmed.

"Erik is okay."

Filip Kostic's current level of performance is okay from a coach's point of view.

In Wolfsburg, the Serb contributed another assist to a goal.

"He accelerates and brings his quality to our game," said Glasner, who learned early on in a confidential one-to-one conversation about Kostic's plan that he would part with his advisor.

“In the game, Filip can see and find the free man under extreme pressure.

That is an outstanding quality ”, praised the Eintracht coach.

Against Cologne it takes a lot of outstanding team qualities to do what Glasner doesn't have to, but wants: to finally win the first game.