Henriksen fearless in the face of eight potential suspensions: “Every match is a Final.”

FSV Mainz 05 trainer Bo Henriksen, speaking at a Thursday presser, insisted that the fact that a full eight members of his team were facing accumulated yellow card suspension would have no impact on his squad selection ahead of Hoffenheim this weekend. 

The concerning number of FSV Mainz 05 professional facing accumulated yellow card suspension has only worsened since the Rheinhessen resumed their fight against relegation after the international break. As FSV trainer Bo Henriksen seeks to parlay some momentum from last week’s win over Darmstadt against a Hoffenheim side themselves coming off a big win last week, the Mainzer gaffer insisted that eight players facing suspension wouldn’t affect his squad planning. 

“It won’t matter if one or two players are missing next week,” Henriksen remarked, “Sometimes some fresh blood is good for a team anyway. We have many players who deserve to be on the pitch. For us, every match is a final at this point.” 

Four of Henriksen’s starters from last week’s win – Nadiem Amiri, Brajan Gruda, Jae-Sung Lee, and Phillipp Mwene – are facing suspension after having incurred four yellow cards over the course of the season. Four of the five players who appeared as subs – Silvan Widmer, Edilmilson Fernandes, Tom Krauß, and Ludovic Ajorque – are also on four yellows. 

Fearless though he may be, Henriksen did suggest that he would withhold a start for squad captain Silvan Widmer. Henriksen first praised his captain for performing well in three consecutive weeks off the bench, but also emphasized that he was very pleased with the job Anthony Caci did filling in for the injured skipper on his unnatural right-hand side. 

“[Silvan] is a real leader and a real captain,” Henriken said of Widmer before adding of Caci, “but I can’t leave a player out if he’s performing. [Silvan] just needs to keep doing what he’s doing and he will get a chance.”