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Leon Balogun Declared Fit, Faces Bundesliga Showdown with Borussia Monchengladbach
In a welcome boost for Mainz 05, Nigerian defender Leon Balogun has fully recovered from the illness that sidelined him during the Super Eagles clash against Serbia. The 29-year-old is now set to feature in Sunday’s Bundesliga clash against Borussia Monchengladbach, adding a crucial layer of depth to Mainz’s defensive lineup.
Balogun, a key player for Mainz, trained with his teammates on Friday, signaling his readiness for the upcoming fixture. His return comes at a pivotal moment as Mainz seeks replacements for the injured Abdou Diallo, who is recuperating from a broken nose, as confirmed by club manager Sandro Schwarz.
Schwarz, discussing the team’s options, stated, “Niko is a candidate to start on Sunday. Alexander Hack, Leon Balogun, or Jean-Philippe Gbamin are also in contention to replace Diallo.”
Emphasizing the importance of the upcoming matches, Schwarz added, “There are no more breaks from now on, just a very clear objective from week to week. Despite everything, we have the chance to climb up to 15th in the table. The first step is putting in a good performance against Gladbach on Sunday. We have to give off the impression that we are ready to fight for survival at all costs.”
Reflecting on the international break, Schwarz highlighted its significance, stating, “The international break gave us a well-needed rest. Now we have seven games, as well as a possible pair of relegation games, ahead of us. We have to get better results and let our play do the talking on the pitch.”
Balogun, with 12 Bundesliga appearances for Mainz, aims to contribute to the team’s climb from their current 16th position in the table, where they have accumulated 25 points from 27 games.
