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Four wins from four propelled Wolfsburg to the top of the Bundesliga following a stunning start to life under Mark van Bommel but the Wolves have since gone six games without a win. Their defeat at Union Berlin on Saturday was a third league loss on the spin as Wout Weghorst and Ridle Baku started on the bench. Only the latter is expected to return to the starting XI for the trip to Salzburg, where victory would move them above their hosts and possibly into top spot, depending on how Sevilla fare against Lille. Weghorst - who has yet to score in the Champions League - has been ruled out, meaning Lukas Nmecha should lead the attack, with Dodi Lukebakio in support. Maxence Lacroix is another first-team regular back at van Bommel's disposal having missed the defeat to Union through suspension and the Frenchman should replace Sebastiaan Bornauw in central defence.
Having won all 10 of their opening league fixtures, Salzburg dropped points for the first time this season on Saturday. The Austrian champions could only manage a 1-1 draw at Altach, but they remain unbeaten in 17 matches in all competitions in 2021/22 (W15, D2). That represents a fine start to life under Matthias Jaissle after the former RB Leipzig youth team coach took over as head coach in July. There are no fewer than eight players in the Salzburg squad who previously plied their trade in Germany, one of which is Karim Adeyemi - the former Bayern Munich youth team player who made his Germany debut in September. The 19-year-old scored on his Germany bow against Armenia and has 11 goals in 16 appearances so far this term, though injury ruled him out of the trip to Altach and he could miss out in attack.
Match stats
Weghorst is Wolfsburg's top scorer in all competitions so far this season with four goals in 11 outings, but is yet to fire in 156 minutes of Champions League football.
As a player, Van Bommel won the 2005/06 Champions League with Barcelona, and was a 2009/10 runner-up with Bayern Munich.
Wolfsburg have faced Austrian opponents once before in UEFA competition, drawing 2-2 at home before winning 2-1 away in their 2005 Intertoto Cup tie against Sturm Graz.
Salzburg are facing Bundesliga opposition in the Champions League group stage for the second season in a row. They lost 6-2 and 3-1 to Bayern last term.
Adeyemi played for the Bayern juniors until the age of 10, followed by the Unterhaching youths (2012-2018).
Bernardo (RB Leipzig), Zlatko Junuzovic (Werder Bremen), Philipp Köhn (Duisburg, Schalke and VfB Stuttgart youths & RB Leipzig) Kilian Ludewig (St. Pauli and Leipzig youths & Schalke), Jerome Onguene (Stuttgart), Nico Mantl (Unterhaching) and Alexander Walke (Bremen, Freiburg, Wehen Wiesbaden, Hansa Rostock and Greuther Fürth) also played in Germany.
Probable line-ups
Salzburg: Köhn - Kristensen, Onguene, Wöber, Ulmer (c) - Sucic, Camara, Seiwald - Aaronson - Okafor, Adeyemi
Out: Bernardo (pelvis), Koita (knee), Piatkowski (ankle), Solet (knee), Vallci (Achilles)
Doubtful: Junuzovic (heel)
Coach: Matthias Jaissle
Wolfsburg: Casteels (c) - Mbabu, Lacroix, Brooks, Roussillon - Guilavogui, Arnold - Baku, Lukebakio, Waldschmidt - L. Nmecha
Out: Bialek (knee), Gerhardt (foot), Otavio (ankle), Schlager (knee), Weghorst (not included), William (knee)
Doubtful: Mehmedi (muscular)
Coach: Mark van Bommel
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