VfB Stuttgart boss Pellegrino Matarazzo could welcome back a number of returning players when Champions League participants Frankfurt visit on Saturday afternoon. Tanguy Coulibaly and Nikolas Nartey are both vying for a place in the matchday squad after returning to full training this week, while Laurin Ulrich is expected back next week following a hip flexor problem. There are doubts over the fitness of Konstantinos Mavropanos, who was taken off in Munich last weekend with adductor issues, but Matarazzo says “the plan is for Dinos to take part in the final training session”.
Josha Vagnoman is out of the match against Eintracht with a bone edema in his foot, but Matarazzo will have both of VfB’s goalscorers against Bayern at his disposal. “Chris Führich brings a lot of energy to our game,” he said. “He’s very ambitious, focused and developing well. Serhou Guirassy is lively and communicative on the pitch. He has enormous potential – it’s about showing it week after week. I’m delighted that both of them are with us.”
In Eintracht, Matarazzo expects to face a “very strong team who deserve to play in Europe”. The 44-year-old continued: “Frankfurt have a lot of attacking potency and strength. We want to build on last week’s performance and win the game at home in front of our own fans.”