No goals, hardly any minutes on the pitch and a benchwarmer in the national team too: record goalscorer from the Bundesliga is going through his biggest crisis

Last year, Andrej Kramaric was still TSG 1899 Hoffenheim's top scorer. Now the 35-year-old record goalscorer is completely out of the picture - and not only at the Kraichgau club.

Has Slaven Bilic already reached the same verdict? "He will never be happy sitting on the bench," fellow coach Christian Ilzer said a few months ago about Andrej Kramaric, who lost a little of his status as an undisputed starter at TSG Hoffenheim last year.

Bilic marked his return as Croatia coach after 14 years with a 2-1 away win in the Czech Republic. He still left Kramaric on the bench for the full 90 minutes in Prague. That had not happened at all this season to the national team's third-highest goalscorer, but Kramaric has also made a surprisingly poor start at Hoffenheim, at least statistically.

So far, he has played just 68 minutes across six competitive matches. Ilzer has yet to name him in the starting line-up. Last year, when Hoffenheim finished fifth after a strong campaign, Kramaric started 28 times and again put up impressive numbers: 15 goals and eight assists in 36 matches for TSG's record goalscorer (158 goals in 366 games), who has been in the Kraichgau since 2016 and is now a proud 35 years old.

Andrej Kramaric’s situation in Hoffenheim is reminiscent of a spell under Julian Nagelsmann

Only once before has Kramaric had to endure such a slump during his time in Germany. That was a long time ago, in the first half of the 2017/18 season under Julian Nagelsmann. Just as he is now, Kramaric was on the bench five games in a row back then, although Nagelsmann did give him more minutes as a substitute than Ilzer has recently.

Two reasons explain that. First, Kramaric played at the World Cup, where he was involved three times in the four matches before the round-of-32 exit, but came off the bench each time. Five days after the knockout against Portugal, he underwent groin surgery and only returned to training at TSG much later than planned. He has clearly not yet been able to make up that deficit.

Then there is Hoffenheim's squad, which has become significantly deeper because of the added burden of Europa League football. They lost winger Bazoumana Toure to Newcastle United for around €50 million and allowed experienced midfielder Grischa Prömel to join VfB Stuttgart on a free transfer, but they also spent €66 million on six new signings.

Who are Andrej Kramaric’s rivals at TSG Hoffenheim?

Above all, returning player and new international Bambase Conte and Adam Daghim, signed from Salzburg, have clearly been ahead of him on the wings so far. In attack, Kramaric is also up against the resurgent Adam Hlozek and the tireless Tim Lemperle and Max Moerstedt. Fisnik Asllani has also recently become an option off the bench again for Ilzer after his move to RB Leipzig fell through.

Even so, the Austrian coach will surely be smart enough not to push Kramaric into a permanent sideline role. The Croatian is "a top professional who works tirelessly on his abilities in detail", as Ilzer said in December, for example, when Kramaric made his 300th Bundesliga appearance against HSV. "He is a role model for all of us, for the whole team," Ilzer said in praise, describing Kramaric as "an extreme winner type" and an "important part of this team". It was no coincidence that Hoffenheim extended his contract until 2028 at the beginning of May.

A fitter Kramaric could soon force that door open again. The competition in front of goal has hardly frightened anyone so far. Hoffenheim have scored seven goals in four league matches, but ten other clubs have bettered that. They also sit only fifth from bottom for chance conversion, as well as in the table.

Hoffenheim’s midweek schedule could play into Andrej Kramaric’s hands

Another case for giving Kramaric more minutes is the start of a packed run of fixtures. In the three weeks after the current international break, the Kraichgau club face seven competitive matches. If results stay this poor, Ilzer will be under real pressure to turn to the experienced fan favourite.

Bilic's handling of Kramaric in the three remaining Nations League matches, twice against Spain and at home to England, is a different issue. When he stepped down in 2012 after almost six years and 65 matches as national coach, Kramaric's debut for Croatia was still more than two years away.

Will Andrej Kramaric still become Croatia’s record goalscorer?

The fact Bilic picked him despite the limited playing time in Germany speaks in the striker's favour. Kramaric ranks fourth in the national team with 119 caps, behind Luka Modric (203), Ivan Perisic (159) and Darijo Srna (134). Passing Srna and Perisic, who sit second in the scoring charts with three more goals (39), should be incentive enough. Even the 45 goals scored by legend Davor Suker are not too far away.

For now, though, the currently goalless Kramaric must halt the minor crisis he finds himself in. If he responds to his role as a substitute the same way he did under Nagelsmann, nobody in Hoffenheim will complain: with 11 goals in the second half of the season, Kramaric made himself indispensable and played a major part in Champions League third place.

Andrej Kramaric: performance data at TSG Hoffenheim