Foals start new week of training without trio

Borussia began training on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the trip to VfB Stuttgart on Saturday (18:30 CET), with Breel Embolo, Valentino Lazaro and Alassane Plea missing the session.

The Foals have had a few well-deserved days off to enjoy their impressive 3-2 comeback victory over FC Bayern Munich on Friday evening. However, focus has now turned to next weekend’s upcoming clash against newly promoted VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga. The positive feelings from the win over the champions have carried over into the new week, and coach Marco Rose’s team took to the training pitch with a spring in their step on Tuesday. “You always notice that the mood is a bit more relaxed after a big win like that. The boys were feeling good and were fully focused on training hard,” reported the 44-year-old.

Embolo undergoes hand operation

After a variety of exercises in small groups, the 90-minute session culminated with a 10-vs-10 match. Three Borussia players were unable to take part in training, as Breel Embolo sat out the session along with Valentino Lazaro and Alassane Plea who are both suffering from muscular problems. “Breel had a successful operation on his hand yesterday, but we’ll have to wait and see how quickly he’ll be able to return to training,” said Marco Rose. Plea trained individually, with Rose commenting: “There’s a realistic hope that Alassane could be available for Saturday’s game.”

A tough challenge ahead

The Foals face a tricky test against Stuttgart, who have already accumulated 21 points from their first 15 games. “We’re up against a really good opponent who once again showed what they’re capable of last weekend against FC Augsburg,” stressed Rose. “Stuttgart play intensive football and have a clear game plan. It will be a difficult game and we’ll be working hard to prepare for it this week.”