Rock-bottom Rostock travel to Hannover on Tuesday five points adrift of safety with only three games of the Bundesliga season remaining.

And a failure to win combined with positive results for their relegation rivals the following day could see Pagelsdorf's side slip through the trapdoor.

"We know we need a minor miracle," admitted Pagelsdorf before his side departed on Monday.

"Even if the chances of us avoiding relegation appear to be relatively low, we will try everything."

Pagelsdorf has received more bad news with defender Gledson ruling himself out of the trip due to a thigh strain.

He was substituted in the 3-1 defeat to Hamburg at the weekend and lasted only a few minutes before having to abandon training on Monday.

Tim Sebastian should take his place in the centre of the defence and Pagelsdorf wants a marked improvement from his backline.

He said: "We have got to begin as courageously as we did against HSV, but with a significantly better defence."

Hannover held Schalke to a 1-1 draw on Saturday to extend their unbeaten streak to four games, a run which has put them back in the hunt for an Intertoto Cup place.

Dieter Hecking's side trail Bayer Leverkusen by five points, but with two games against sides in the bottom five coming up, the coach is optimistic.

"You could see that we don't simply want to wind the season down," he said after Saturday's draw.

"Two or three years ago, we would have lost here 2-0 or 3-0, but I have got to pay a compliment to the team."

Sergio Pinto is suspended for all of Hannover's remaining games this season, but Valerien Ismael came through the Schalke clash unscathed having picked up a knee injury seven days earlier.