Three injuries mar Stuttgart victory
VfB Stuttgart got back to winning ways on Friday night with a 2-1 win over FC Augsburg to kick off the 2020/21 German Bundesliga's 32nd round.
Pellegrino Matarazzo's Swabians snapped a four-game-losing skid and Austrian striker Sasa Kalajdzic also broke a unique record, becoming the first VfB player to score seven times in season with his head.
The Württembergers nevertheless couldn't shake their persistent brushes with the injury bug. Roberto Massimo, Tanguy Coulibaly, and Konstantinos Mavropanos all left the field injured.
Eleven minutes after Philipp Förster scored the opening goal on Friday night, right flanker Roberto Massimo signaled that he could not continue. The man tasked with, on this particular day, filling the shoes of Silas Wamangituka caught the unlucky break after finally establishing himself in the lineup with three consecutive starts.
Pellegrino Matarazzo's Swabians snapped a four-game-losing skid and Austrian striker Sasa Kalajdzic also broke a unique record, becoming the first VfB player to score seven times in season with his head.
The Württembergers nevertheless couldn't shake their persistent brushes with the injury bug. Roberto Massimo, Tanguy Coulibaly, and Konstantinos Mavropanos all left the field injured.
German broadcaster DAZN confirmed that Massimo suffered a muscular injury in his left thigh. Such a strain may only keep him out for a few days. At least that's what the VfB coaching staff will hope for after Massimo's replacement, Tanguy Coulibaly, incurred his own injury 42 minutes into his relief appearance.
Coulibaly's knock looked a great deal more serious. Trainer Matarazzo confirmed in a post-match interview that the young Frenchmen suffered a full ligament tear. The severity of such a rupture most certainly means that the pacey youngster's season is over. Erik Thommy replaced Coulibaly late on.
In between the two obligatory substitutions on the flanks, defender Konstantinos Mavropanos did not remerge from the tunnel to partake in the second half. DAZN could not independently verify what the problem was, but the 23-year-old Greek international was seen limping during the opening 45 after several physical duels.
Mavropanos remains the subject of transfer talks between Stuttgart and parent club Arsenal FC.