Matarazzo admits Wamangituka needs a rest
At a Thursday presser, VfB Stuttgart head-coach Pellegrino Matarazzo hinted that he was considering giving his star winger a break against Schalke on Saturday.
The fact that the Bundesliga's current Swabian representatives have become overly-reliant on flanker Silas Wamangituka is common knowledge at this point. As a result, the Congolese attacker has been dipping in form recently; an classic example of a player too mentally overtaxed to produce consistently creative ideas.
Stuttgart trainer Pellegrino Matarazzo revealed to members of the assembled press corps that he was considering giving the 21-year-old a rest in the coming weeks.
"He's a player who thrives on his mental originality," the head-coach divulged, "I talk to him, ask how he's playing, and pay attention to his body language. We'll see when the next possibility arises to give him a break."
It does not appear as if Wamangituka will have the luxury of taking a breather this weekend against Schalke. Even against the last-place team in the league, the Badeners can't afford to take too many chances.
Nicolas Gonzalez remains three weeks away from a return. Wamanigtuka's direct backup Tanguy Coulibaly is questionable with injury. Erik Thommy, who has been able to pick up some of the team's offensive slack, has been ruled out.
Schalke themselves must do without Nassim Boujellab, excluded after issues struggles with both his ankle and his knee.
"[Schalke] is hard to gauge because they're banged up," Matarazzo noted, "they're better in terms of individual quality than their position in the table indicates."