Fortuna Düsseldorf vs. Hoffenheim: probable line-ups, match stats and LIVE blog!

Fortuna Düsseldorf will look to former Hoffenheim forward Kenan Karaman - scorer of two in his last four - when the two sides face off on Saturday (kick-off: 3.30pm CEST/2.30pm BST/9.30am ET).

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Fortuna suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat at Bayern Munich last Saturday, but their results had been positive before then: a 2-1 win over Schalke that was preceded by draws against Cologne and Paderborn. Nevertheless, Uwe Rösler's side remain in the bottom three and need to get back to winning ways if they are to climb out of the danger zone. Karaman scored the winner in that victory over Schalke and likely to start in attack. Twelve-goal top scorer Rouwen Hennings was an unused substitute at the Allianz Arena but could partner Karaman this time. Erik Thommy playing in attack is a pacier alternative. Midfielder Marcel Sobottka joins goalkeeper Zack Steffen on the sidelines with an ankle injury but Fortuna will give Kaan Ayhan until the last minute to prove his fitness after missing the trip to Munich with a muscular injury.

Hoffenheim have been quietly creeping up the table recently thanks to a three-game unbeaten run that includes back-to-back wins over Cologne and Mainz. That has lifted Alfred Schreuder's side up into seventh place, level with sixth-placed Wolfsburg on 42 points and once again hopeful of securing European football for the first time since the 2018/19 season. The ongoing absences of strikers Andrej Kramaric, Ishak Belfodil and Sargis Adamyan are frustrating for Schreuder, but Christoph Baumgartner and Ihlas Bebou have stepped up to the plate of late, proving the match-winners against Cologne and Mainz, respectively. At the other end of the field, captain Benjamin Hübner is expected to slot straight in at centre-back following his one-match ban.

Watch: Baumgartner's magic against Cologne

Match stats

Fortuna are unbeaten in their last three Bundesliga meetings with Hoffenheim (W1. D2).

Karaman made his first five Bundesliga appearances for Hoffenheim, before spending four years at Hannover. He moved to Düsseldorf in summer 2018.

Hennings has scored in each of his last two meetings with Hoffenheim. Both games finished 1-1.

Hoffenheim ended a run of nine games without a clean sheet in their 1-0 win over Mainz.

Kramaric is the only current Hoffenheim player to have scored a Bundesliga goal against Fortuna.

Bebou registered 12 goals and 15 assists in 74 competitive appearances for Fortuna between 2011 and 2017.

Probable line-ups

Fortuna: Kastenmeier - Ayhan, Hoffmann, Gießelmann - Zimmermann, Stöger, Bodzek, Berisha, Thommy - Karaman, Hennings (c)

Out: Sobottka (ankle), Steffen (knee)

Doubtful: -

Coach: Uwe Rösler

Hoffenheim: Baumann - Kaderabek, Posch, Hübner (c), Zuber - Rudy, Grillitsch - Skov, Baumgartner, Bebou - Dabbur

Out: Adamyan (ankle), Belfodil (knee)

Doubtful: Bruun Larsen (groin), Kramaric (ankle)

Coach: Alfred Schreuder