Borussia Mönchengladbach visit VfB Stuttgart on Friday looking to avoid becoming the first Bundesliga side to lose their opening seven matches. Coach Alexander Blessin revealed a list of nine unavailable players, while the club faces mounting criticism over its summer recruitment and leadership.
The Bundesliga and official licensing partner Topps have launched the Starting XI Debut Patch, a special jersey badge awarded to every player making their first Bundesliga start. Worn only for that single match, the game-worn patch is later embedded into a hand-signed, one-of-one trading card. The Bundesliga becomes the first major European league to implement the concept, debuting in the season opener between Bayern Munich and Stuttgart.