Only a few months ago, the left-back appeared to be pushing himself into the club's plans. He started four of Leipzig's final five Bundesliga matches last season, deputising for David Raum and even scoring his first Bundesliga goal against Union Berlin.

Then the summer arrived, a new coach took over and everything changed.

Under Martín Demichelis, Finkgräfe has barely featured. He has played just 12 minutes in the Bundesliga this season, with another 26 minutes coming in the DFB-Pokal. He was an unused substitute in Leipzig's defeats against Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen, as well as the Champions League defeat to Como.

For a player who finished the previous campaign with genuine momentum, that is a significant step backwards.

The problem is Raum?

Leipzig's captain remains Demichelis' preferred left-back, even though he has not started this season at the level he would expect from himself. Raum has spoken publicly about the need for Die Roten Bullen to improve after their difficult results, while Demichelis himself has acknowledged that the team still has plenty to address.

That should, theoretically, leave an opening.

But Finkgräfe has not taken it.

According to BILD, people around Demichelis' team felt that the 22-year-old did not have a convincing preseason. That is particularly interesting because Finkgräfe had reportedly spent part of his summer working on extra sessions with Said El Mala, trying to prepare himself for the new campaign. Yet once he returned to Leipzig, he apparently failed to make the impression necessary to change his position in the squad.

The report also mentions that questions have been raised internally about Finkgräfe's intensity in training. Those claims help explain why Demichelis has continued to select Raum despite the captain's own inconsistent start.

But this is not necessarily a lost season for Finkgräfe.

Leipzig's sporting leadership remains convinced of his qualities, and the schedule ahead could finally give him the opening he needs. The club is heading into an exceptionally busy period, with nine matches across 29 days, meaning Demichelis will have little choice but to rotate his squad.

That makes the international break particularly important for Finkgräfe.

He now has time to work under Demichelis, raise his level in training and remind the coaching staff why Leipzig were willing to invest around €4 million in him when he arrived from Cologne in 2025.

The opportunity is still there. But this time, Finkgräfe has to take it.

Raum's form may eventually give him an opening, but Demichelis is not going to hand him the position simply because his competition is struggling.

Finkgräfe already showed at the end of last season that he can play at this level. Now he has to convince the new coach that he deserves to do it again.