Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) - Midfielder Chris Führich is absent from the start of training at VfB Stuttgart on Monday under the new head coach Bruno Labbadia. As a spokesman for the Bundesliga club explained, the 24-year-old still has to pause after an operation. At Führich, a plate that had been inserted in the summer of 2021 after a broken collarbone was removed in mid-November. He also had a ganglion on the metatarsus corrected.
In addition to the offensive player, Labbadia will also have to do without World Cup participants Borna Sosa, captain Wataru Endo and Hiroki Ito at public training (3 p.m.). Sosa and the Croatian national team meet Argentina in the semi-finals in Qatar on Tuesday. Endo and Ito are still on vacation after Japan lost out to the Croatians in the round of 16.
About the further planning of the relegation-threatened Table-16. VfB wants to provide information at a press conference (1 p.m.) right before the start of training for the time until the Bundesliga starts again. Then Labbadia, who worked for Stuttgart from December 2010 to August 2013, and the new sports director Fabian Wohlgemuth will introduce themselves and comment on the mission of staying in the class. CEO Alexander Wehrle will also be there.
After the winter break, Labbadia and VfB still have 19 games to prevent Stuttgart from being relegated to the Bundesliga for the third time in six years. The first competitive game under the former Germany striker is on January 21 at home in the league against 1. FSV Mainz 05.
