Heracles winger Hauswirth available despite triple nose fracture

Heracles Almelo winger Max Hauswirth remains available for Friday’s home game against Roda JC despite breaking his nose in three places. He sustained the injury in an early collision during Monday’s 2-0 victory over TOP Oss but managed to complete the match.

Head coach Vincent Heilmann praised the winger’s resilience and confirmed that Hauswirth can continue playing while wearing a protective mask. Heracles have also welcomed Fodé Fofana back into the group. The forward had not trained since appearing against De Treffers in the cup, with the club carefully managing his physical response after three years out of action. Mario Engels, however, is expected to remain unavailable for several more weeks because of injury.

Friday’s match is Heracles’ second home fixture of the week and forms part of the 14th round of the Keuken Kampioen Divisie. The leaders have 32 points, seven more than fourth-placed Roda, and are aiming to extend their unbeaten home run. Their visitors arrive after going four league matches without defeat.

With three games scheduled across eight days, Heilmann said preparation has focused on recovery, video analysis and set pieces. Although he felt Heracles should have scored more against TOP Oss, the coach said the physical and possession data represented their best performance of the season. He expects a disciplined Roda side that concedes few goals, making clinical finishing a priority for the hosts.