FC St. Pauli travel to face Hannover 96 on Saturday (20:30 CET, Sky and RTL) with a nearly full squad available. Head coach Marcel Rapp delivered positive news on the personnel front on Thursday. Tomoya Andō has trained for two weeks following his suspension and back issues and is, according to Rapp, "absolutely fit for use". Marcus Mathisen has also resumed team training, although a start from the beginning likely comes too soon for his comeback attempt. There have been no new injuries since the 2-0 home win against Karlsruher SC.

The team from Millerntor sits in seventh place in the 2. Bundesliga with ten points from seven matchdays and is unbeaten in its last five games (two wins, three draws). This stability gives Rapp confidence. "We are defensively stable. A bit of luck also belongs to it. With the ball we have taken steps forward." said the 47-year-old. He simultaneously stressed: "We are already on the right path, but of course it can still get better."A nice problem but also the toughest part of the job," the head coach described the selection. He pointed to his team's flexibility: "We are prepared for anything and able to adjust during games, so we are flexible in that respect." With Abdoulie Ceesay, who has already scored three goals this season, and other attack-minded players, Rapp sees the team well-equipped to find solutions against opponent pressure.

Expects a tough battle in Hannover

The opponent Hannover 96 currently ranks 13th in the table and has a new coach in Sandro Wagner. After a 3-0 defeat to Magdeburg in Wagner's first game, Rapp anticipates a reaction from the team. "I’m expecting Hannover to come out looking to win. They lost their first game under their new coach and will be keen to make amends, so it's going to be a tough battle against a very good side," said Rapp. He does not know Wagner personally but has followed his work at FC Augsburg. For the Kiezklub, it's about continuing the positive run and building on the three points from the last game against Karlsruhe. The full lineup and further statistics are available in our squad overview. The floodlit match at the HDI Arena kicks off at 20:30 on Saturday evening.

First reported at fcstpauli.com