New striker Dženan Pejčinović announced his arrival at VfB Stuttgart with a stunning hat-trick in a 4-0 DFB-Pokal victory away at Hansa Rostock, yet head coach Sebastian Hoeneß faces a defensive crisis ahead of his side’s Bundesliga opener against champions Bayern Munich.
Injury blows overshadow cup progress
Pejčinović’s treble and a goal from Tiago Tomás secured a comfortable passage into the next round on Friday, but the win came at a cost. Midfielder Nikolas Nartey lasted only nine minutes before suffering a muscle injury in the back of his thigh, ruling him out of the opening weeks of the league campaign.
The setback compounds an existing problem in goal. Alexander Nübel has returned to Bayern Munich following a successful three-year loan spell during which he made over 100 appearances for Die Schwaben. Academy graduate Dennis Seimen was poised to succeed him as number one, but the 20-year-old suffered a thigh injury during pre-season and is not expected to return until at least the end of September.
Summer reshuffle brings fresh options
Stuttgart have moved to strengthen a squad that finished fourth last term with 62 points, securing a return to the Champions League. German Under-21 international Pejčinović arrived from Wolfsburg and immediately gave Hoeneß a selection dilemma, while Slovak winger Leo Sauer has joined from Feyenoord and experienced midfielder Grischa Prömel has signed a three-year deal from Hoffenheim.
Bilal El Khannouss, who impressed during his temporary spell, has completed a permanent transfer from Leicester City. The club has rejected approaches from Galatasaray for El Khannouss and striker Ermedin Demirović. Outgoings include Jovan Milosevic’s permanent switch to Braga and loans for Laurin Ulrich (Paderborn), Yannik Keitel and Noah Darvich.
Testing start against familiar foes
Stuttgart’s pre-season brought mixed results, including victories over TSG Balingen, FSV Hollenbach and Kickers Offenbach, a draw with Paris FC, and a 3-1 win over Everton at MHPArena. They concluded preparations with two matches against Fulham in London, winning one behind closed doors before falling 1-0 at Craven Cottage.
Friday’s trip to Munich represents a stern examination of Stuttgart’s progress. Bayern defeated Hoeneß’s side 3-0 in last season’s DFB-Pokal final, with Harry Kane scoring a hat-trick at the Olympiastadion. Stuttgart, who won the cup in 2025, will hope to draw confidence from their recent domestic form and Pejčinović’s instant impact as they look to establish themselves among Germany’s elite once again.