Said El Mala is unlikely to feature for 1. FC Köln when they face VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga on Friday after illness prevented him from travelling with the squad. The 19-year-old attacker has missed training this week with a cold and was reportedly not on board when the team bus departed for Stuttgart on Thursday.
Head coach René Wagner is now preparing for the match without El Mala. Local outlet Geissblog reports that the forward still has a small chance of making a separate journey to the Mercedes-Benz Arena, though his involvement appears increasingly doubtful.
The illness concern extends beyond El Mala. Forward Thijs Dallinga also stayed behind after suffering a gastrointestinal infection. Dallinga, who came off the bench to score twice in Köln’s 3-2 opening-day victory over TSG Hoffenheim, missed Wednesday’s training session alongside his teammate.
El Mala had opened the scoring in that same Hoffenheim match before Dallinga’s double secured the result. That win gave Köln maximum points from their opening fixture, but repeating the feat in Stuttgart now looks far more difficult without the two players who proved decisive.
Wagner admitted on Wednesday that neither situation is clear. He described the pair’s availability as a “close call” and said, “We’ll have to take it day by day.”
The timing could hardly be worse for Köln. Both attackers found the net during the 3-2 victory over Hoffenheim, and their combined contribution turned the match in the team’s favour. Losing them for a difficult away assignment would leave a noticeable gap in Wagner’s attacking options.
Friday’s meeting at the Mercedes-Benz Arena is scheduled for 20:30 CEST. Köln claimed three points from their first match of the campaign, but securing another positive result will require alternative solutions in attack if the duo fail to recover in time.
The club has not confirmed its final travelling party, leaving only a narrow window for late recoveries. For now, though, all indications suggest Köln will face Stuttgart without two of the players who carried them to victory on the opening weekend.