The big mercenary check: Sommer holds, Kasami flies, Rieder sits, Seferovic scores

Noah Loosli (Bochum): The defender played no less than 158 minutes in the preliminary round. Bochum continues against Bremen on January 14.

Cédric Zesiger (Wolfsburg): He fought for a permanent spot, but things are not going well for the “Wolves”. On January 13 we go to Mainz to kick off the second half of the season.

Gregor Kobel (Dortmund): One of the best from the preliminary round, which was disappointing from a Dortmund perspective. At the beginning of January we will go to the training camp in Marbella – with Edin Terzic, who can stay as coach.

Nico Elvedi (Gladbach): Was immediately a regular player again after his failed move in the summer. But the “foals” didn’t really know about him either. The match against Stuttgart continues on January 14.

Jonas Omlin (Gladbach): He was out for almost the entire preliminary round due to his shoulder injury. Will attack again in the new year.

Kevin Mbabu (Augsburg): Recently we fought again for a permanent place. With ups and downs – like the club.

Ruben Vargas (Augsburg): Under new coach Jess Thorup, he was largely left with the role of the joker. The match against Leverkusen continues on January 13.

Silvan Widmer (Mainz): At the end of November he finally celebrated his comeback after a long break. The captain is back on the right for Mainz, which is threatened with relegation.

Edimilson Fernandes (Mainz): Recently missed due to injury after being an undisputed starter at the start of the season.

Granit Xhaka (Leverkusen): The Swiss high flyer in this preliminary round. Remained unbeaten in all competitive matches with Leverkusen and enters the Christmas holidays as leader.

Filip Stojilkovic (Darmstadt/Kaiserslautern): Experienced a preliminary round to quickly forget and now moves one class lower to Kaiserslautern.

Leonidas Stergiou (Stuttgart): Has a tough job to do with the surprise team from the preliminary round. The defender was on the field for 38 minutes in the Bundesliga.

Manuel Akanji (Man City): Had a short break after winning the Club World Cup with Manchester City, the match against Brentford was postponed. The defending champions continue in the Premier League on December 27.

Zeki Amdouni (Burnley): Celebrated an extremely important victory with his club in the 2-0 win in London against Fulham. Substituted in the 80th minute.

Fabian Schär (Newcastle): He was back on the field for 90 minutes after his minor thigh injury against Luton, but he could not prevent the 1-0 defeat against the promoted side.

Eray Comert (Nantes): Loses 0-1 to Nantes in Lyon.

Yvon Mvogo (Lorient): Kamory Doumbia had to let him beat him four times in 26 minutes before half-time in the 4-0 defeat in Brest. Lorient spends the winter in a relegation zone.

Becir Omeragic (Montpellier): The ex-FCZ defender also played in the 1-1 draw against Marseille.

Vincent Sierro (Toulouse): The captain was missing in the year-end defeat against Monaco (1:2).

Breel Embolo (Monaco): Working on his comeback after his cruciate ligament tear.

Philipp Köhn (Monaco): Wins with Monaco in Toulouse (2:1) at the end of the year and retains third place with the Monegasques after the preliminary round.

Denis Zakaria (Monaco): Missed from the victory in Toulouse.

Fabian Rieder (Rennes): Even in the 3-1 win in Clermont, the Swiss gem in midfield was only a spectator and that is why there is already speculation about a new transfer.

Jordan Lotomba (Nice): Played through in a 2-0 win against Lens and hibernated with Nice in second place behind PSG.

Ricardo Rodriguez (Turin): The captain played at left back in the 1-1 draw against Udinese.

Noah Okafor (Milan): Missed injured in the 2-2 draw against Salernitana.

Michel Aebischer (Bologna): Came on as a substitute shortly before the end in the 1-0 win against Atalanta and helped save the win as time went on.

Remo Freuler (Bologna): Played through central midfield in the 1-0 win against Atalanta and received a yellow card.

Dan Ndoye (Bologna): Bad luck for the Nati player: he had to be substituted against Atalanta shortly before half time with a muscle injury.

Yann Sommer (Inter): Remains without conceding a goal for the fifth game in a row in the 2-0 win against Lecce. In December, the goalkeeper of the Swiss national team did not concede a single goal, only Genoa (on December 29) managed to go a month in the summer without conceding a goal.

Silvan Hefti (Genoa): In the 2-1 away win against Sassuolo, the only role left is that of substitute.

Djibril Sov (Seville): Is only second choice under new coach Quique Sánchez Flores. In the 0-1 defeat at Atletico Madrid on Saturday, he came on as a substitute for Ivan Rakitic shortly after half-time.

Miro Muheim (Hamburg): The second half of the season starts on January 20. HSV hibernates in third place.

Jasper van der Werff (Rostock): The second half of the season starts on January 20. Rostock is located on Barrage Square.

Jan Elvedi (Kaiserslautern): Kaiserslautern continues on January 20. Then with Filip Stojilkovic, who comes from Darmstadt.

Saulo Decarli (Braunschweig): Relegation-threatened Braunschweig will play against leader Kiel on January 19 at the start of the second half of the season.

Carlo Brunner (Schalke): Schalke will host HSV at the start of the second half of the season on January 20.

Martin Angha (Wehen-Wiesbaden): Wiesbaden continues on January 21 in Magdeburg.

Haris Tabakovic (Hertha Berlin): The Swiss-Bosnian photographer is in 7th place with Hertha. The match continues on January 21 against Düsseldorf.

Maxime Dominguez (Gil Vicente): The attacking midfielder will not return to action until December 30 against Boavista Porto.

Francesco Ruberto (Vizela): Even after the 0-0 draw against Moreirense, the substitute goalkeeper is still waiting for his first minutes of action this season.

Christian Fassnacht (Norwich): Came on as a substitute in the 2-0 win against Huddersfield in the 66th minute.

Simon Sohm (Parma): Substituted at half-time in the leaders’ 3-1 win against Ternana.

Pajtim Kasami (Sampdoria): Flew off the field after half an hour in the 2-3 win against Feralpisalo after being hit with an elbow.

Natan Girma (Reggiana): Romand scored the 2-1 with a header shortly after half-time in the 3-2 away win against South Tyrol and was substituted in the 72nd minute.

Michael Frey (Antwerp): Is still on the sidelines for the Belgian champions and is not in the selection for the 2-2 draw against Westerlo.

Stefan Knezevic (Charleroi): The defender was injured in the 0-1 away win against Sint-Truiden.

Leo Seydoux (Westerlo): Still not in action this season.

Cameron Puertas (Saint-Gilles): Showed his scoring qualities again in the 2-1 win in Eupen and made it 2-0.

Andi Zeqiri (Genk): Substitute in injury time in the 1-2 away win against Anderlecht.

Noam Baumann (OFI Crete): Was between the posts again in the 2-0 defeat against Asteras Tripolis.

Steven Zuber (AEK Athens): Prepared a goal in the 2-2 draw away to Panserraikos and was substituted in the 79th minute.

Petar Pusić (Osijek): The competition is on hold until January 23. Osijek is in 4th place.

Josip Drmic (Dinamo Zagreb): The competition is on hold until January 23. Dinamo Zagreb is in 3rd place.

Gokhan Inler (Besiktas Istanbul): Plays against Hatayaspor at Christmas. Still waiting for his first minutes of action this season.

Albian Ajeti (Gaziantep FK): Missed Saturday in the 3-0 away win against Kamgümrük.

Marco Burch (Legia Warsaw): The Polish competition is on hold until mid-February.

Oliver Buff (Vilnius): The season in Lithuania is over.

Kwadwo Duah (Ludogorets Razgrad): The Bulgarian competition is on hold until mid-February.

Haris Seferovic (Al Wasl): Scored the equalizer in the 39th minute in the 2-1 win against Al-Ahli. Substituted in injury time. Al Wasl enters the eight-week break from the season as leader.

Xherdan Shaqiri (Chicago Fire): The new MLS season starts on February 21.

Maren Haile-Selassie (Chicago Fire): The new MLS season starts on February 21.

Roman Bürki (St. Louis): The new MLS season starts on February 21.