Relegation-threatened Fortuna Duesseldorf have excluded Ukraine striker Andrei Voronin and Angola forward Nando Rafael from their squad for their final two Bundesliga matches against Nuremberg and Hanover 96 as they battle to stay in the top flight.
Fortuna’s director of sport Werner Wolf confirmed the news to SID, an AFP subsidiary, on Wednesday and told the Rheinische Post newspaper, that the measure had “no disciplinary reasons”, but that coach Norbert Meier wanted to “only work with players who are a real alternative for the squad”.
Ex-Liverpool forward Voronin, 33, has spent the season at Duesseldorf on loan from Dynamo Moscow but has made just 10 appearances.
He has also played just one since November, when he was fined by the club after going to a nightclub while he was written off sick and then made an obscene gesture to journalists.
Likewise, Rafael, who signed from Augsburg last July and has three caps for Angola, has played just 11 league games in total, scoring twice.
Having been promoted last season, Fortuna are 15th in the Bundesliga, level on 30 points with Augsburg, who occupy the relegation play-off position.
They are also just two points clear of the automatic relegation places.
Embattled Fortuna suspend Voronin, Rafael
