Ansgar Knauff pushes for Eintracht Frankfurt starting role ahead of Dortmund clash

Ansgar Knauff is back to full fitness and pushing for a starting place at Eintracht Frankfurt ahead of Saturday’s Bundesliga encounter against Borussia Dortmund.

The 24-year-old winger has recovered his fitness after previously completing 90 minutes in Frankfurt’s 6-0 defeat to RB Leipzig. He subsequently received only around 20 minutes of playing time in the 1-0 victory over FC Köln, but his versatility could earn him a more prominent role against his former club.

Head coach Adi Hütter views Knauff as a valuable option because of his ability to operate in several positions, including on the wings and as a centre-forward.

“Ansgar Knauff, who more or less began his career in Dortmund, is always an alternative for me because he is a versatile player. That means he can play in several positions,” Hütter explained.

Despite his importance to the squad, Knauff is still searching for his first goal contribution in the Bundesliga this season. Nevertheless, his pace and ability to threaten opponents on the counterattack could prove useful against Dortmund.

Frankfurt’s coach has played down expectations of significant rotation following the win over Cologne, although he confirmed that some changes are possible.

“We have just won 1-0 against Köln. It doesn’t look as though I will make too many changes, but there will be changes,” Hütter said.

The coach also stressed that his focus remains firmly on the upcoming match against Dortmund rather than managing players’ workloads ahead of Tuesday’s DFB-Pokal fixture against Hamburger SV.

Frankfurt will be keen to build on their defensive improvement against Cologne, having conceded 16 goals in their opening six Bundesliga matches.

Knauff’s return to full fitness gives Hütter another option as he looks to maintain that improvement while adding pace to Frankfurt’s attacking transitions.

Whether the winger starts against Dortmund remains uncertain, but his versatility and recovery have strengthened his case for increased involvement in the coming fixtures.