Nagelsmann: "Joelinton will probably be available"

Julian Nagelsmann on…

…his impressions of training: "This training week was very good. We had yesterday off, as the Monday game slightly alters the rhythm. The sessions have all been very good, as have the levels of tension."

…the personnel situation: "Joelinton (thigh problems) had to step back a bit this week but he'll probably be available. As for Ermin Bicakcic (calf problems), we'll test whether his calf holds up in training today. But I'm assuming he won't board the plane with us on Sunday as he hasn't trained for a while. Dennis Geiger (groin complaints) is still undergoing tests and will miss out against Leipzig."

…RB Leipzig: "It's clear how Leipzig want to play and how they have got this many points on the board. In both games that we've had against them this season, it wasn't as though we were clearly inferior. We had good spells in both matches and could've opened the scoring ourselves. But then the matches ended up taking a different direction. After falling behind, things became difficult for us. They were even games and that's what I'm expecting on Monday too."

…the uniqueness of a Monday match: "It doesn't have much of an impact on the team. We're used to playing evenings too. You can train in a way that allows you to get used to the rhythm. Obviously for the fans it's not easy and not the best situation. But it doesn't make sense for fans to boycott every Monday game. I think it's better to round off the matchday because then you already know all the results."

The social media fan question of the week:

This week you attended the event "Alle Wege führen nach Rom" (All roads lead to Rome) with Joko Winterscheidt. How did you find the event?

"The main factor behind my visit was regarding how to deal with defeats. It was about how one copes with setbacks and then gets themselves back on the right track – even in times where things aren't so good. It was very funny and it was an entertaining 10 minutes that I spent there."

The opposition's form:

Leipzig are unbeaten in five matches, with their last outing a 3-1 victory away to VfB Stuttgart. As a result, Ralf Rangnick's charges currently occupy fourth place with 41 points after 22 rounds of matches.

Head-to-head record:

This season has seen TSG Hoffenheim lose to RB Leipzig in both the Bundesliga (2-1) and the second round of the DFB Cup (2-0). However, Nagelsmann's charges have fond memories of their last visit to Leipzig in the Bundesliga. They emerged 5-2 victors that day – and took a huge step towards qualifying for the UEFA Champions League group stages.

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