Vinicius de Souza Costa

Suspended for Thursday's first leg

Vinicius (suspension) is ruled out for Thursday's relegation first leg playoff opener.

Analysis: Vinicius picked up his fifth yellow card of the season during Wolfsburg's match against St. Pauli, triggering an automatic one-match ban that will sideline him for the first leg of the relegation playoff first leg Thursday. The midfielder's absence is a significant blow for the Wolves heading into such a high-stakes fixture, with their opponent yet to be determined as Elversberg, Hannover 96 and Paderborn are still battling for both direct promotion and the playoff spot heading into the final round of matches.