Hoeness keen to strengthen at the back amid Stuttgart injury crisis

Sebastian Hoeness has confirmed that VfB Stuttgart are looking to bolster their centre-back options before the transfer window closes.

It’s no surprise that the departure of Waldemar Anton to Borussia Dortmund has left a gaping hole in VfB Stuttgart’s defence.

So far, no direct replacement has arrived, but as head coach Sebastian Hoeness confirmed after Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at Freiburg, work is underway to find one.

“We are working on it. It’s not a matter of emphasizing it week after week. We all agree on that,” Hoeness told Sky Germany.

The situation hasn’t been made any easier by the club’s long injury list, which includes three centre-backs in Leonidas Stergiou, Anthony Rouault and Dan-Axel Zagadou.

Against Freiburg, central midfielder Angelo Stiller started alongside new signing Jeff Chabot at the heart of defence.

“He did that in Dortmund too. We are reacting to a special personnel situation,” said Hoeness of the emergency solution.

Stuttgart next face Preussen Münster in the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday.