As Stuttgart prepare to face Atalanta in the Champions League, manager Sebastian Hoeness finds himself with an abundance of attacking options. The German coach must decide how to best utilize his talented forward line against the Italian side.
In their recent match against Bayer Leverkusen, Hoeness opted to pair Deniz Undav with El Bilal Toure up front. This combination could be set to continue on Wednesday night, with Toure facing a particularly intriguing matchup against his parent club. The Malian striker joined Stuttgart on loan this summer after a difficult, injury-plagued season in Bergamo where he managed just three goals.
Beyond Undav and Toure, Hoeness has several other attacking players vying for starting spots. Enzo Millot and newly-capped German international Jamie Leweling are pushing for inclusion, while Ermedin Demirovic, Chris Fuhrich, and Fabian Rieder offer additional options across the forward line.
Stuttgart will be without several players due to injury. Jeff Chabot, Yannik Keitel, Luca Raimund, and Dan-Axel Zagadou are all unavailable. However, there is positive news as Swiss defender Leonidas Stergiou has returned to training, and Ameen Al-Dakhil has recently recovered from a hip issue.
For Atalanta, long-term absentees Gianluca Scamacca and Giorgio Scalvini remain sidelined until next year. On a brighter note, Marco Brescianini made his return from a thigh injury as a late substitute against Napoli.
Atalanta are expected to recall Mateo Retegui to the starting lineup after he was used primarily as a substitute in their last match. The Italian striker has been in excellent form, particularly away from home, having scored five goals in his first six Serie A away matches. He currently leads the Capocannoniere race by four goals.
Retegui is likely to be supported by Ademola Lookman and Charles De Ketelaere as Atalanta look to continue their strong start to their European campaign.
Stuttgart: Nubel; Vagnoman, Rouault, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Millot, Karazor, Stiller, Leweling; Undav, Toure
Atalanta: Carnesecchi; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, Ederson, De Roon, Ruggeri; De Ketelaere, Lookman; Retegui
