The ailing coach Sebastian Hoeneß reported fit again in time for VfB Stuttgart’s upcoming away game, as did attacker Deniz Undav.
“I’m feeling much better now, I’ve used the last few days to regenerate,” said the 41-year-old Hoeneß: “On Friday I’ll lead the final training session and then travel to Wolfsburg with the team.”
Hoeneß was unable to lead training this week in preparation for the game at VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday (6:30 p.m. in the live ticker and audio stream on sportschau.de) due to a gastrointestinal upset. The press conference planned for Friday was also canceled so that, according to the club, the remaining time could be “optimally used for further preparation for the game”.
Hoeneß: Hope for the use of Nübel
“Unfortunately, it was a really stubborn matter that prevented me from being able to take care of the training work to the usual extent,” Hoeneß was quoted as saying in a press release. But he was in “intensive exchange” with his coaching team.
In Wolfsburg, Hoeneß striker Deniz Undav is available again after a torn fiber in his thigh, and Atakan Karazor is also fit for action after a bruised thigh. Both had “signaled that they can play in Wolfsburg,” explained Hoeneß. He is also “in good spirits” about goalkeeper Alexander Nübel being able to play again after a bruised hip.
VfB Stuttgart has to reach the limit in Wolfsburg
Genki Haraguchi, however, is out due to illness. In Wolfsburg, his team had to “play to the limit” in order to “persist,” said Hoeneß. In Niko Kovac, the team has “an experienced coach. They have a lot of quality in the squad and recently played on equal terms against the top teams in the league in the games against Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt.”
Broadcast on Friday, March 1st, 2024 6:00 a.m., SWR Aktuell in the morning, SWR Aktuell