Hannover 96 vs Werder Bremen preview - Kind confident of avoiding the drop

Hannover president Martin Kind remains optimistic about his side's chances of avoiding relegation this season - but says a win against Werder Bremen on Saturday is imperative.

Without a win yet in 2015, the Reds last week slipped into the bottom three for the first time this season.

Given that miserable form, they are regarded as one of the favourites to slip through the trapdoor, but Kind is maintaining a positive outlook going into a crucial northern Germany derby at the Niedersachsenstadion.

"I'm absolutely convinced we will stay up," he told the Bild newspaper. "A condition for that, however, is that we beat Werder, otherwise it's going to get very critical."

Should the worst-case scenario happen, though, Kind has said current coach Michael Frontzeck has a good chance of being given the job to bring the club straight back up.

Frontzeck was appointed only three weeks ago as a replacement for Tayfun Korkut, on a contract only for the last five games of the season.

"He would be the first person we would talk to," Kind said. "He's developed really well, is highly professional and is throwing himself right into it."

While Hannover are fighting to save their top-flight status, opponents Werder have impressed under Viktor Skripnik and the Green-Whites are now knocking on the door to a place in Europe next season.

A win would take them even closer to that objective, but Skripnik knows that this game is really going to test his team.

"We're up against a side who have their backs to the wall again," Skripnik said.

"Hannover have got to win so my players are going to be prepared for a battle and we will be uncomfortable opponents too."