Rapp declares Holtby fit enough to start against Mainz

Holstein Kiel head-coach Marcel Rapp revealed that squad captain Lewis Holtby, returning from injury, may be inserted into the starting XI against Mainz on Sunday. 

Having found some success in the league after rolling out the exact same starting XI in two consecutive fixtures, Holstein Kiel trainer Marcel Rapp will have to make at least one personnel adjustment ahead of Sunday’s league fixture against Mainz. Norwegian midfielder Magnus Knudsen – who had been stitching the midfield together in Rapp’s 3-5-2 – will be unavailable due to an accumulated yellow card suspension. 

This piece of bad news is nevertheless coupled with a positive development in Rapp’s camp. Squad captain Lewis Holtby is finally once again fully fit after being sidelined with back problems. After sitting out three league match-days, the skipper of the storks was able to log some minutes off the bench in last round’s defeat away at Bremen.

Rapp signaled that he was fully prepared to insert Holtby directly into the starting XI to take Knudsen’s place. Holtby, per Rapp, utilized the international break to “get fully 100 percent fit.” Though the Kiel trainer did note that there were other options, Rapp’s words seemed to suggest that the captain would get a chance to reprise his role. 

“It depends on what sort of player we need,” Rapp said, “but, as our captain, Lewis is absolutely a candidate for the starting XI. He’s made great strides [over the international break].”