Jarl Magnus Riiber will not be competing in Klingenthal ©Getty Images

The Nordic Combined World Cup circuit returns to Klingenthal this weekend, with two men's Gundersens scheduled on the German venue's large hill.

The action will take place without World Cup leader Jarl Magnus Riiber, however, as he continues to deal with a back issue.

Riiber had won six World Cup legs in a row and seven of the season's eight contests before missing out in Val di Fiemme last weekend.

Johannes Lamparter of Austria and Germany's Vinzenz Geiger each produced back-to-back top-two finishes in Riiber's absence to close the gap in the overall standings.

Lamparter enters Klingenthal 100 points behind the Norwegian in the standings, meaning a good showing in the doubleheader will see him leapfrog Riiber.

Geiger is 170 points adrift of Riiber.

Vinzenz Geiger is among the skiers seeking to take advantage of Jarl Magnus Riiber's absence ©Getty Images
Vinzenz Geiger is among the skiers seeking to take advantage of Jarl Magnus Riiber's absence ©Getty Images

The 24-year-old has fond memories of this venue and won two World Cup events in Klingenthal last season.

Riiber also picked up two wins in Klingenthal last season as the venue hosted multiple Nordic Combined World Cup stopovers.

A provisional competition round is scheduled tomorrow, before back-to-back World Cup competitions on Saturday and Sunday (January 15 and 16).

This weekend's action also represents the last chance for athletes to earn points before the Olympic qualification window closes.