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Eintracht Frankfurt’s Jonathan Burkardt deemed fit enough to start against Bayer Leverkusen

Head coach Toppmöller remained in a sanguine mood at his Thursday pre-match press conference. After dominating Werder Bremen and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, Toppmöller noted that he saw little reason to tinker with the squad ahead of Friday’s match against Bayer Leverkusen. Eintracht’s opponents find themselves on the ropes following their most unexpected early season coaching change.

Keeping up pace with Bayern in the league clearly remains a priority for Toppmöller. Rotations aren’t likely against Leverkusen despite the fact that Eintracht’s Champions League campaign begins next Thursday with a home UCL fixture against Galatasaray Istanbul. The SGE head coach essentially promised that the 4-2-3-1 formation will remain in place. Lead striker Jonathan Burkardt is back and fit enough to start.

“We are traveling to Leverkusen with great optimism and are looking forward to the game,” Toppmöller remarked on Thursday. “I’m really happy that the guys have come back healthy from their national teams. Jonny is definitely a candidate for the starting eleven. He has made good use of the training week and is both fit and energetic.”

“With the busy schedule, things are really getting started now,” Toppmöller also noted. “In the coming weeks, we will certainly not always be fielding the same starting XI.“