Who will score for VfB Stuttgart without Deniz Undav?
Any team would suffer if their star striker gets injured, but Sebastian Hoeneß’s VfB Stuttgart look well placed to cope with Deniz Undav's absence given their options up front.
The Germany striker will likely be out of action until 2025 with a hamstring injury, meaning Undav is set to miss eight matches before the winter break including two Champions League ties against Crvena Zvezda and Young Boys.
Stuttgart also face Jahn Regensburg in the last 16 of the DFB Cup, and in the league there are big points up for grabs with three of their upcoming opponents occupying the division’s bottom five spots.
Undav, Stuttgart’s top scorer with seven goals in 16 competitive games this term, would likely have been relishing such a fixture list after his team suffered a tricky start to the campaign, but instead it will be up to others to take the burden. Thankfully for Hoeneß and Stuttgart, there are plenty who can step in.
Watch: VfB Stuttgart's Mr. Unpredictable, Deniz Undav
Ermedin Demirović, who joined from Augsburg over the summer after an impressive 15-goal campaign, already has six goals this season despite often being used as a substitute. The No.9, who's just warmed his boots up with a goal for Bosnia and Herzegovina against the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League, has already seen his goals secure points against Hoffenheim and Borussia Mönchengladbach term.
The 26-year-old is probably in pole position to step into the void given his experience, physicality and eye for goal, but he is by no means the only alternative to Undav.
Nick Woltemade, another summer signing, has shown plenty of his promise with intelligent link-up play, and has scored three times in seven competitive outings - only two of which have been starts. Furthermore, the 22-year-old's height - he stands at 1.98m (6'4") - means he offers a big presence in the box that the 1.79m (5'10") Undav does not.
Discussing such players ahead of taking on Bochum on Matchday 11, Hoeneß said: “We’ve always said that it’s important to have strength in depth in the squad in order to react to situations. Now some of the lads who haven’t been playing as regularly will get more game time. This situation offers a big opportunity for some players.”
Watch: Deniz Undav talks up El Bilal Touré
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That is by no means all. Should Hoeneß want pace and directness rather than a big target man, he need look no further than Atalanta loanee El Bilal Touré. The 23-year-old has been in fine form in recent weeks, notably scoring a late decider in the Champions League victory over Juventus last month. His two goals and one assist from nine Bundesliga outings (three starts) also indicate that there is more to come if he is offered more playing time.
While one of the above trio appears to be the most likely solution for Hoeneß in order to keep the team's playing style as unchanged as possible, he does have other options should he want to implement a more significant reshuffle.
Enzo Millot, for example, has three goals and two assists in the Bundesliga this season from attacking midfield. The French youngster struck twice against Dortmund, and even assisted Touré’s Juve winner, showing he’s as ready as anyone to step up in the big moments.
Watch: VfB Stuttgart 5-1 Borussia Dortmund - highlights
Seven more Stuttgart players have already broken their duck this season with a single goal. Chris Führich earned himself a spot as a Germany regular with nine goals last season, and Jamie Leweling later joined him after an impressive four-goal campaign.
Touré and Leweling are likely to be unavailable against Bochum but having come off the back of a very unfavourable fixture list relatively unscathed with a win over Juventus and a point against Bayer Leverkusen, things could quickly be looking up for Stuttgart, even without their already iconic No.26 up front.
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