Shinji Kagawa will make his second Borussia Dortmund debut with coach Jurgen Klopp able to select from only 15 fit players for the clash with Freiburg.
Klopp would not confirm whet-her the Japanese midfielder, signed back from Manchester United just prior to the transfer deadline, will start at the Westfalenstadion, but with Marco Reus ruled out for a month after picking up an injury while on international duty, the chances appear high.
“We can’t wait for another two weeks,” said Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp. “Shinji is going to be important for us right away.
“He’s made a good impression and it seems he’s still got some files from his time here left on his hard drive. He’s going to get his minutes.”
Ciro Immobile also returned from international duty with a hip problem while there was even worse news from Jakub Blaszczykowski, who was on the brink of returning from a thigh injury. Instead, the Pole has been ruled out for a further four to five weeks after straining tendons in his thigh.
Meanwhile, Stuttgart will be looking to pick up their first win of the season when they travel to Bayern Munich. The Swabians managed to pick up only one point from their first two games of the season.
The hosts should be able to count on Xabi Alonso, who was able to complete his very first full training session on Thursday since joining from Real Madrid 24 hours before making his debut in the draw with Schalke last time out.