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RB Leipzig Lose Nkunku And Estève Ahead Of Essen Cup Clash
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- RB Leipzig Lose Nkunku And Estève Ahead Of Essen Cup Clash
(IMAGO / Alberto Gardin)
RB Leipzig will be without Christopher Nkunku and Maxime Estève for Tuesday's DFB-Pokal clash against Rot-Weiss Essen, with Martín Demichelis confirming that both players will miss the trip as a precaution.
The Red Bulls travel to the Stadion an der Hafenstraße looking to secure their place in the round of 16 after Saturday's convincing 4-0 Bundesliga victory over SV Elversberg.
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While Die Roten Bullen will be missing two important players, Demichelis has confirmed that Ørjan Nyland will retain his place in goal following his impressive performance at the weekend.
Nkunku And Estève Ruled Out As Precautions
Nkunku remains sidelined by the adductor problem that prevented him from featuring against Elversberg on Saturday.
The French attacker will not travel to Essen, with Leipzig unwilling to risk aggravating the injury during a demanding period of the season.
However, Demichelis is optimistic that Nkunku's absence will be short.
"We hope he'll be back in action against Schalke this weekend,"
- The Argentine explained.
His potential return would be a significant boost ahead of Leipzig's next Bundesliga fixture, particularly after his impressive hat-trick against Eintracht Frankfurt earlier this month.
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Estève will also miss Tuesday's encounter after suffering a knock during the victory over Elversberg.
The French defender was involved in a heavy challenge, and Die Roten Bullen have decided that additional recovery time is the safest approach.
Demichelis confirmed that the decision was precautionary rather than an indication of a serious injury.
Meanwhile, Assan Ouédraogo remains unavailable because of a capsular injury to his right shoulder, while Marc Guiu continues recovering from a muscular problem.
Nyland Gets Another Chance To Impress
Despite the absences, the Red Bulls have received clarity regarding their goalkeeping situation.
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Demichelis confirmed that Nyland will start against Essen, just three days after keeping a clean sheet in his first competitive appearance of the season.
The Norwegian replaced Maarten Vandevoordt against Elversberg as part of an extensive eight-player rotation and helped Leipzig secure another convincing home victory.
His experience and composure impressed Demichelis, who believes the 35-year-old deserves another opportunity.
The coach also clarified that Nyland's selection had been planned several weeks ago and does not represent a permanent change in the goalkeeping hierarchy.
Vandevoordt remains Leipzig's first-choice goalkeeper, but the cup competition offers an opportunity to give Nyland valuable minutes.
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After conceding ten goals against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, another clean sheet would be particularly encouraging for the Red Bulls' defence.
Demichelis Warns Against An Essen Upset
Although Leipzig enter Tuesday's encounter as favourites, Demichelis expects a difficult test against the third-tier opposition.
Rot-Weiss Essen remain unbeaten at home this season, making the Stadion an der Hafenstraße a potentially challenging destination.
The Argentinian coach has already warned his players about the dangers of knockout football.
"We know exactly what's waiting for us tomorrow. It's an all-or-nothing game. Essen remain unbeaten at home."
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Leipzig's recent performances away from home have been considerably less convincing than their results at the Red Bull Arena.
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Saturday's victory over Elversberg extended their perfect Bundesliga home record to four wins, 18 goals scored, and none conceded.
However, defeats against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid have exposed the need for greater consistency on the road.
With Nkunku and Estève unavailable, Demichelis must once again rely on his squad depth to deliver a positive result.
The objective is clear: maintain the momentum from Saturday's victory, avoid an embarrassing cup upset and advance to the last 16.
From here the stage only gets bigger.
