The fitness of Anton Kade is a key question for FC Augsburg ahead of their top-of-the-table clash with Bayer Leverkusen. The attacking player missed the 4-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt with an adductor problem sustained in training and remains a doubt for Saturday's match.
Manager Manuel Baum provided an update on the 22-year-old's condition on Thursday. "He's laughing, he feels good, has no more pain," said the Augsburg head coach. A final MRI scan was scheduled for the same day to determine if Kade can rejoin team training. He has not taken part in any session since the injury a week ago.
In addition to Kade, Manuel Baum will be without at least four other players. Tim Breithaupt, Steve Mounié, and Sima Suso are also struggling with adductor issues. Faik Sakar is out with ankle joint problems. These absences test the squad depth of the league leaders. The current injury list is available on our squad page.
The home game against Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Saturday, September 12th (15:30), is of major importance for Augsburg. After two wins to start the season, Augsburg leads the Bundesliga table with six points and has scored seven goals. A victory against currently seventh-placed Leverkusen would solidify their perfect record and strengthen their position at the top. "We clearly want to go into the game on Saturday again with the aim of winning it," Baum emphasized. Fans can find the complete season schedule on our fixtures overview.
The opponent from Leverkusen began the season with a clear 4-0 home win against 1. FC Union Berlin, securing their first three points. As such, Die Werkself presents the first real test for the surprising league leaders. The team of coach Xabi Alonso possesses a strong attack, against which the Augsburg defence has held up well so far, conceding only one goal in two games. The current standings table shows the tight race at the top.
The final decision on Anton Kade's availability will be made after evaluating the MRI results. If fit, he would provide important flexibility and pace to FC Augsburg's attack. The match against Bayer Leverkusen at the WWK ARENA kicks off at 15:30 on Saturday.
