VfB coach Pellegrino Matarazzo is also missing important regulars at FC Augsburg. But the coach wants to find solutions and pull away from the bottom of the table.
VfB Stuttgart have only recorded two victories in the Bundesliga season so far. During the week, Cologne’s goal scorer Anthony Modeste knocked them out of the DFB Cup. The Swabians’ second season in the top flight after promotion in 2020 has been mixed so far, even though they have not lost in the league four times recently (1/3/0). On Sunday, Pellegrino Matarazzo’s team has to face 16th-placed Augsburg.
Continued tricky personnel puzzle
Florian Müller will once again be absent. “He has been absent for a long time and is not yet at the fitness level he needs for the Bundesliga,” said Matarazzo, explaining his decision to use substitute Fabian Bredlow, who has already played the last three games. Likewise, VfB must once again replace Omar Marmoush. The Wolfsburg loanee – like Erik Thommy – is not yet ready for action again. There is also a “question mark” over Roberto Massimo and Nikolas Nartey.
The personnel worries of VfB, which has recently been badly shaken by Corona, therefore continue. “It’s no secret that we’re currently going through personnel changes again and again and therefore also lack automatisms,” Matarazzo sums up the situation and adds: “But I’m not looking for excuses, I’m looking for solutions.” The former Nagelsmann co-coach wants to find these solutions through communication with each other.
Returnee Anton straight into the starting eleven?
He will be helped by Waldemar Anton, a mouthpiece on the pitch. “Waldi is an important player for us not only because of his style of play, but also because of his leadership qualities,” said the coach, aware of the qualities of one of his leading players. The returnee is hot and eager for an assignment – which he will probably get: “He has a good chance to be in the starting eleven on Sunday.”
Against an opponent who “will come onto the pitch with a lot of energy”, it is precisely players like Anton who are needed. For Matarazzo, the decisive factor is “that we adapt well, that we take on energy and fight to decide the game for ourselves”. Then we can “steer the game in a certain direction”, regardless of the opponent. The direction in which VfB will have to look in the first half of the season could become clear on Sunday.
