VfB Stuttgart are in trouble early in the 2026/27 season, sitting 15th in the Bundesliga with three points from four games after a 0-1 home defeat to Borussia Dortmund on matchday four. Maximilian Beier's second-half winner condemned Stuttgart to a third league loss, and the result confirmed what has been a deeply frustrating start for a club with Champions League ambitions.

At the centre of the concern is captain Deniz Undav. The striker has no goals and no league assists so far, and speaking to Sky after the Dortmund loss, he admitted he feels too deep on the pitch and has managed just two chances in four games. His Achilles issues have affected his fitness, and Jürgen Klopp left him out of his first Germany squad as a result. Undav acknowledged he must prove himself again to the new national team coach, though he struck a defiant tone: "I was five minutes disappointed and then the focus went forward."

Midfielder Angelo Stiller also picked up a knee injury against Hoffenheim the previous weekend, though the club confirmed it was only a bruise, limiting the damage. Stuttgart lost that game 1-2, making it back-to-back Bundesliga defeats.

The next competitive fixture is a friendly against Greuther Fürth on October 1, before the Bundesliga resumes. With the international break now underway, coach Sebastian Hoeneß will hope the pause gives his squad time to recover and reset before a run of games that will define Stuttgart's early-season direction.