Mainz will sorely miss the injured Jean-Philippe Mateta's goals at the start of the 2019/20 season but there is still plenty for the 05ers to be hopeful for ahead of the new Bundesliga campaign.

bundesliga.com takes a closer look at what to expect from the Carnival club…

Aims in 2019/20

A club record-extending tenth successive season in the top flight ended with a 12th spot finish for Mainz last year, their highest league placing since Martin Schmidt led them to sixth in 2015/16. It was an encouraging return for Sandro Schwarz’s men, who ended the campaign strongly courtesy of a three-match unbeaten run that included a 3-3 draw with third place RB Leipzig, as well as wins over Eintracht Frankfurt (2-0) and Hoffenheim (4-2) who finished in seventh and ninth respectively.

Born in the city and a former player who made over 100 appearances for Mainz, the club runs in Schwarz’s blood and his efforts were rewarded with a new contract until 2022 back in March of this year. His next task will be to make sure his team pick up where they left off at the end of last term and guide his hometown side to a top-half finish. An improvement on their second round exit in 2018/19 DFB Cup will also be on the agenda, with all at the Opel Arena hoping Schwarz can replicate the quarter-final run the 40-year-old oversaw the year prior.

Player to watch

Mainz’s preparations for the new campaign were dealt a bitter blow with the news Mateta will miss the first three months of the season. It raises obvious concerns, as highlighted by sporting director Rouven Schröder: “The news on the time out is very difficult to take, as we will now be without one of our best goal scorers from the previous season for the next few months.”

Not only was Mateta the club’s top scorer with 14 Bundesliga goals last year, but Mainz were also unbeaten in each and every league game in which the 22-year-old was on the scoresheet. Once fit and firing, Mateta will again prove an integral member of the Schwarz strategy but in his absence the onus will fall on Robin Quaison, in particular, to pick up the goal getting slack. The Sweden international had the most productive year of his career in 2018/19, scoring seven times and providing three assists for his teammates. If he can further improve that record, the Carnival club will feel a little more festive and a little less dour for missing Mateta at their tip.

Watch: Mateta hits hat trick in 5-0 demolition of Freiburg

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Summer transfers

IN: Cyrill Akono (Preußen Münster), Taiwo Awoniyi (Liverpool, loan), Edmilson Fernandes (West Ham), Omer Hanin (Hapoel Hadera), Dong-Won Ji (Augsburg), Aaron Martin (Espanyol, loan made permanent), Jonathan Meier (Bayern Munich reserves), Ronaël Pierre-Gabriel (AS Monaco), Jose Rodriguez (Fortuna Sittard, end of loan), Aaron Seydel (Holstein Kiel, end of loan), Jeremiah St. Juste (Feyenoord), Marin Sverko (Karlsruhe, end of loan)

OUT: Issah Abass (FC Utrecht, loan), Rene Adler (retired), Emil Berggreen (Twente), Niko Bungert (retired), Gaetan Bussmann (released), Giulio Donati (released), Jean-Philippe Gbamin (Everton), Gerrit Holtmann (Paderborn, loan), Jannik Huth (Paderborn), Anthony Ujah (Union Berlin)

How they might line up

- DFL

Stadium

Mainz’s home since 2011 is currently known as the Opel Arena. The 34,000-capacity stadium was originally called the Coface Arena and was built to replace the ageing Stadion am Bruchweg. It was nominated for the Stadium Business Award for innovative and new ideas in stadium construction. The ground hosted its first and so far only Germany match in June 2014 as Die Mannschaft faced Armenia in their final warm-up game for the 2014 FIFA World Cup they won.

Watch: Stadium Watch - Mainz's Opel Arena

First five fixtures

Matchday 1: Freiburg (a) – Saturday, 17 August, 3.30pm CEST
Matchday 2: Borussia Mönchengladbach (h) – Saturday, 24 August, 3.30pm CEST
Matchday 3: Bayern Munich (a) – Saturday, 31 August, 3.30pm CEST
Matchday 4: Hertha Berlin (h) – Saturday, 14 September, 3.30pm CEST
Matchday 5: Schalke (a) – Friday, 20 September, 8.30pm CEST

About the clubs

1. FSV Mainz 05

MEWA ARENA