Silvan Widmer

At 32, Silvan Widmer finds himself in an unfamiliar position at 1. FSV Mainz 05. The Swiss right-back, valued at €800,000, has yet to make an appearance this season while his teammates battle to pull clear of the relegation zone. Mainz sit 14th in the table, their recent form showing promise with three wins in their last five — including a crucial unbeaten run — yet Widmer has watched it all unfold from the sidelines. His only contribution to the campaign thus far is a solitary yellow card, a curious statistic that speaks to the frustration of a veteran defender whose experience and defensive solidity are going unused. With teammate Stefan Posch anchoring the backline and Robin Zentner between the posts, Mainz have found a formula that's working — one that currently doesn't include their Swiss international. For Widmer, a player who has represented his country at major tournaments, the challenge now is to force his way back into contention and prove that his experience can still influence a survival fight that could go down to the wire.