Almost every players set to feature
Manager Tayfun Korkut is planning to give every player in his squad at least a half in the first friendly of pre-season. “We have upped the ante recently; the players are starting the feel the effects of pre-season. Nevertheless, they should have enough energy for 45 minutes.”

Our World Cup participants Miiko Albornoz, Hiroki Sakai and Ron-Robert Zieler will be missing in Barsinghausen. Also, Stefan Thesker will not feature as he is recovering from an adductor injury. Markus Miller will continue to be rested following his injury, so Samuel Radlinger and youth talent Timo Königsmann will be between the posts. It is still unclear as to whether Joselu will feature (back problems). 

Charity match for the Robert Enke Foundation
The first pre-season friendly will be in support of the Robert Enke Foundation. It is the first time that 96 will play a match from which all the proceeds go directly to the foundation. Christian Schulz is in Barsinghausen for the match. The 96-defender spoke about the importance of the topic ‘depression in sport’: “Every footballer is confronted with this topic. The pressure is there in professional football too.”

1. FC Germania Egersdorf/Langreder in the middle of pre-season
Our opponents have already played two friendlies in their preparations for the new season and there have been a total of 19 goals scored in them. Last weekend, they beat TSV Bantorf 12-0, before securing a 6-1 win over Landesliga outfit Bad Pyrmont. Since being promoted in 2012, the first team play in the Lower Saxony Oberliga and finished last season in fifth place.