Kevin Stöger is back in team training for VfL Bochum. Three more players from the Frankfurt squad are in danger of dropping out.

Kevin Stöger is back on the training pitch of VfL Bochum. After missing Tuesday morning’s training session, the VfL Bochum playmaker returned for the afternoon session and was able to complete the entire programme on Wednesday.

The Austrian had missed the match against Eintracht Frankfurt due to a corona infection. He was able to take Tuesday off and then successfully put all medical tests and bureaucratic regulations – the latter even a little faster than initially expected – behind him and train without any complaints. This makes the 29-year-old an option for VfL’s game in Stuttgart on Saturday (3.30pm).

Förster and Stöger could also start together in Stuttgart

Against Leipzig, coach Thomas Letsch had surprisingly dispensed with Bochum’s hitherto best outfield player, substituting him at the break and praising him afterwards for being “the only one who wanted the ball”. Stöger was supposed to play against Frankfurt. The viral illness intervened – and his supposed substitute Philipp Förster played big.

But Förster could also play together with Stöger and form a strong double eight; one of the two could then drop further in rotation, as the transitions from six to eight are fluid anyway.

Förster is Bochum’s best runner against Frankfurt

Förster, who was still on the ball for upcoming opponents Stuttgart in pre-season, impressed against Eintracht for the first time this season not only as a goal-scorer (1) and a goal-setter (2). He was also strong in two fights and covered the most kilometres of all players on the pitch. With 11.8 kilometres according to the data from “kicker”, he topped, among others, running wonder and sixth man Anthony Losilla (11.51 km). If Förster and Stöger play at the start, Patrick Osterhage would probably have to sit on the bench.

Probably not an option, at least not for the starting eleven, are Jacek Goralski (muscular problems), Konstantinos Stafylidis (according to the club, he still has a cold) and Saidy Janko (knee blister). They missed all three training sessions so far this week – and there are only two sessions left until kick-off on Saturday. In addition, Lys Mousset (individual fitness programme) and Takuma Asano (torn knee ligament) will be absent voluntarily and involuntarily respectively.