Stuttgart travel to Bayern Munich on Friday carrying serious injury concerns that threaten to define their early season, with Sebastian Hoeneß potentially without eight players for the Bundesliga opener at the Allianz Arena. The depth of the problem was exposed in the DFB-Pokal first round, where Stuttgart beat Hansa Rostock 4-0 but lost Nikolas Nartey to a hamstring injury after just nine minutes. Nartey had been one of the standout performers of pre-season, earning the right-back spot ahead of Josha Vagnoman after convincing Hoeneß in an unfamiliar defensive role. His absence now forces Vagnoman straight into a duel with Bayern's Luis Diaz on the opening night of the Bundesliga campaign.

The injury list extends well beyond Nartey. Goalkeeper Dennis Seimen, the highly-rated 20-year-old who returned from his Paderborn loan with significant expectations, is out until at least late September after suffering a serious thigh injury. Lorenz Assignon, Dan-Axel Zagadou, Luca Jaquez, Justin Diehl and Jeremy Arevalo are also unavailable, while Chris Führich left the Rostock match with a thigh problem and his status for Friday remains uncertain. Fabian Bredlow will start in goal.

Amid the squad turbulence, Stuttgart did receive a boost on the transfer front. Ermedin Demirovic has turned down a move to Galatasaray, rejecting a package that could have earned him more than 15 million euros net over three years in Istanbul. The 28-year-old informed the club he wants to stay and fight for his place alongside new signing Dzenan Pejcinovic, the 25-million-euro arrival from Wolfsburg who scored on his competitive debut against Rostock. Stuttgart go into the Bayern fixture with momentum from that cup win but with a squad stretched thin at the worst possible moment.