Borussia Mönchengladbach travels to face VfB Stuttgart on Friday, October 23, 2026, at 20:30 local time in the MHP Arena facing a crisis, with ten players sidelined by injuries and personal leave as the club sits at the bottom of the Bundesliga table. T-Online reported that the team enters the opening match of the seventh matchday without a single point from its first six fixtures, raising the immediate threat of becoming the first club in 63 years of Bundesliga history to lose its opening seven matches.
Ten Sidelined Players Compound Crisis at Mönchengladbach
The selection crisis for coach Alexander Blessin leaves the squad depleted across multiple positions ahead of the trip to Stuttgart. T-Online confirmed that vice-captain Kevin Diks will miss the fixture due to personal reasons. The defensive unit is hit particularly hard, with central defenders Ko Itakura and Jan Leszczynski both unavailable alongside Diks. The club travels without a clear striker as both captain Tim Kleindienst and recent signing Isac Lidberg are sidelined by injuries.
The treatment room features several long-term absences. Jens Castrop recovers from shoulder surgery, Fritz Fleck nurses a severe strain, Franck Honorat deals with a muscle injury, Nicolas Kühn works through a muscle bundle tear, and Enzo Leopold is out with a torn cruciate ligament, according to T-Online’s squad assessment.
Stuttgart Prepares Under the Floodlights Following European Test
VfB Stuttgart enters the fixture holding 13th place in the league standings with six points from six matches. Head coach Sebastian Hoeneß’s side comes into the contest directly after a midweek UEFA Champions League outing, having secured a 1-1 draw against Atlético Madrid on Tuesday night in front of home supporters at the MHP Arena. Hoeneß said that his team is preparing with high energy for the second home fixture under the floodlights inside three days.
Stuttgart must manage its own squad adjustments for Friday’s match. Right-back Josha Vagnoman suffered a thigh muscle injury during the draw against Atlético Madrid and is ruled out. Midfielder Nikolas Nartey also misses out due to muscular issues, while Tiago Tomás, Justin Diehl, and Dan-Axel Zagadou remain in build-up training.
Mönchengladbach Risks Record Seven Straight Defeats
The statistical gap between the two clubs frames Friday’s encounter as a defining moment at the foot of the table. While Stuttgart looks to secure its second home victory of the Bundesliga campaign, Mönchengladbach attempts to halt a six-match losing streak that includes recent one-goal defeats against TSG Hoffenheim (1-2) and 1. FC Köln (1-2). A seventh defeat would write an unwanted chapter in the 63-year history of the German top flight as no team has previously suffered seven defeats at the start.
Match Details and Broadcast Information
The opening fixture of the seventh matchday kicks off at 20:30 on Friday, October 23, 2026, at the MHP Arena in Stuttgart. Live television coverage in Germany is broadcast on Sky, with audio commentary available via VfB Radio and text updates provided through official club live tickers.
In the previous 2025/2026 season, VfB celebrated the “100 Years Brustring” anniversary against the guests from North Rhine-Westphalia. Matchday visitors can access the digital matchday magazine STADION AKTUELL
for free, featuring an interview, photo album, and poster of Chris Führich, an interview with Borussia Mönchengladbach legend Lorenz-Günther Köstner, a feature on 50 years of STADION AKTUELL
, a VfB education segment, and an interview with VfB women’s player Luzie Zähringer.
Keep reading
