The question of how to form the defense has been on Oliver Glasner's mind for almost three months.

Since Wednesday, the urgency with which he has to look for answers has increased further: Due to the absence of Christopher Lenz, who stayed injured in the dressing room against Sporting at half-time, the Eintracht coach is faced with the difficulty that he is slowly but surely run out of alternatives to occupy the defensive line in front of keeper Kevin Trapp in such a way that it can be said with a clear conscience that it meets first-class requirements.

Marc Heinrich

sports editor.

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Lenz, who was recruited from Union Berlin a year ago, has been absent for around 150 days due to physical malaise;

now he felt a "stab in his thigh", as Glasner reported.

Investigations revealed a “small tear in the fascia”.

The coach assumes that the 27-year-old will be out until the end of September.

After Almamy Touré (torn thigh tendon) and Sebastian Rode (thigh strain), he is the next professional who, under different circumstances, was a candidate for the starting lineup this Saturday (3:30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and on Sky) against Wolfsburg would.

Lenz was the first choice on the left post in the back four.

Luca Pellegrini, who came from Juventus Turin and replaced him from the 46th minute against Lisbon, got the impression that he was far from having the necessary fitness to properly do justice to the running intensity that is required at this point will.

Chain of three without Hinteregger

The part of Glasner's team that is primarily responsible for defending its own territory is a major construction site. Martin Hinteregger's decision on June 24 to retire early still has an impact today.

So the previous plan had to be thrown overboard, which after the triumph in the Europa League aimed at maintaining the three-man chain with the Carinthian in the middle;

Evan Ndicka and Tuta were planned on his right and left side, with Ansgar Knauff or Almamy Touré and Filip Kostić on the wings.

With the injuries to Jérôme Onguéné and Aurélio Buta, who had been brought in from RB Salzburg and Royal Antwerp in order to introduce them to higher tasks in the future, the difficulties began for Glasner in the preparation, which increased in explosiveness when Kostić, who faced the The coach had always spoken of staying in Frankfurt until a few hours before he changed his mind, but then decided to leave for Juventus in mid-August.

Glasner took the bad news as an opportunity to change the system to 4-4-2 in order to make a virtue out of necessity.

With progress, as can be seen in the appearances against Cologne (1:1), in Bremen (4:3) and against Leipzig (4:0), which made the unsatisfactory start to the season forgotten.

Now he has to change his plans again, while Onguéné, who was only recently described as recovered, stopped the training session on Thursday with hip problems.

"We have a few issues relatively early on that you don't want as a coach," admitted Glasner.

In the backup role, Kristijan Jakić does not correspond to the ideal image of a modern right-back either, as he makes little use of the opportunities in the forward movement.

Should the coach not entrust Jakić with the task in his traditional territory as a six, he could order Daichi Kamada back.

In any case, after months of not being considered at PSG, new signing Junior Ebimbe does not yet have the power to last 90 minutes, as he illustrated against Sporting with cramps.

With Makoto Hasebe, who was there against Lisbon in the final phase, Glaser has an option for the last line, which with its (leadership) power can convey security to the young neighbors Ndicka and Tuta in 3-5-2.

When the transfer window closed without Eintracht having presented a commitment for the defense, Glasner took this as an opportunity to emphasize his satisfaction with his squad and to point out the existing variability.

Nothing is "set in stone", he said in relation to system issues.

The fact that this is one of the problems is one of the findings that complicate his work after the failed premier class debut.