Köln look to gain some distance between themselves and the bottom three on Saturday when they play host to Hannover in a crucial Bundesliga game.
Köln were held 0-0 by Borussia Mönchengladbach last weekend, but the side played well in a 3-0 German Cup win over Eintracht Trier on Tuesday. They have lost only one of their last seven games in all competitions.
Hannover, meanwhile, sit in a more comfortable 11th place after their 1-0 win over struggling Stuttgart a week ago Saturday. Hannover, who were eliminated by Trier in earlier in the Cup, got the week to rest.
Köln are without Christopher Schorch with a shoulder injury, and Pierre Womé again misses out due to injury.
The visitors have dropped Leon Balogun from the squad due to fitness concerns, and he will be joined by a host of long-term injury woes for Hannover. Arnold Bruggink, Mike Hanke and Jan Schlaudraff continue to miss out.
This will be one of the more tightly contested ties of the weekend program. Hannover have won five of the last six games in this head-to-head series, and they very well could pull a result on the road.
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