Hoffenheim coach Marco Pezzaiuoli is still waiting for a new striker to arrive as he prepares for tomorrow's clash with St Pauli.

The Bundesliga club's bid for Ryan Babel from Liverpool was accepted last week and the Dutch striker has already been shown around the club's facilities, yet he has still not made up his mind about joining them.

Pezzaiuoli remains confident about Babel eventually arriving, but he has his eye on other candidates too. "A new striker is definitely coming, and maybe we will even sign two," said the Hoffenheim coach. "I have had positive talks (with Babel) and I have a good feeling, but it is also legitimate for him to express his own desires." Babel appears keen on a move to Ajax instead and is awaiting developments at the Amsterdam-based club before committing, or not, to Hoffenheim.

A new striker is definitely coming, and maybe we will even sign two.
Marco Pezzaiuoli, Hoffeneheim coach

Pezzaiuoli therefore has the same players available tomorrow as he had for the 2-1 defeat to Werder Bremen last weekend. New signing Roberto Firminio is now eligible to play, but he will have to wait a while longer before making his debut due to illness.

St Pauli coach Holger Stanislawski fears that the Hoffenheim attack is strong enough even without any new faces. "They have some excellent players in their ranks," he said. "Their attack is of an equally high quality, but we have got to make sure we don't play into their hands.

"Last time we played them, we were the better team, but then we fell asleep just before the end. We have been working specifically on taking control of the game from the beginning in training."

Stanislawski is without his usual captain Marius Ebbers, who has pulled a stomach muscle, and he must therefore not only decide who will replace him in his attack, but also who will wear the captain's armband.

"We should not put too much emphasis on who wears the captain's armband," he said. "Somebody will wear it and that somebody will lead us onto the field, but I have got to be careful not to give it to anybody to whom it could be a burden."