Leipzig's new signing French forward #27 Tidiam Gomis (L) and Leipzig's French defender #05 El Chadaille Bitshiabu are pictured after the German first division Bundesliga football match RB Leipzig vs St Pauli in Leipzig, eastern Germany on February 9, 2025. Photo: AFP
Leipzig coach Marco Rose told broadcaster DAZN before Friday’s 0-0 draw that Bitshiabu was supposed to be in the squad, but the 19-year-old French defender failed to show up in time for the team’s bus to the airport that morning.
“Chad missed the departure this morning and therefore also the flight,” Rose said. “So you can’t be there at the end of the day either.”
Bitshiabu could have arguably have made the game traveling by bus. Leipzig is roughly four hours from Augsburg by road, and the match had a late kickoff.
Bitshiabu, who has made 11 league appearances this season for Leipzig, had good chances of playing in Augsburg with captain Willi Orban suspended for his red card against St. Pauli the week before, and Benjamin Henrichs, Xaver Schlager, Assan Ouedraogo and Antonio Nusa all out with injuries.
Rose only had six outfield players available as substitutes, with one seat on the substitutes’ bench left free because of his shortage of players.
Serbian right back Kosta Nedeljković went on to make his Leipzig debut late on.
The draw in Augsburg meant Stuttgart could overtake Leipzig on Saturday with a win at home over Wolfsburg to move fourth, the last place for Champions League qualification.
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