Latest squad news ahead of Stuttgart at home

HSV began their training on Tuesday ahead of their clash with the side currently sitting in fifth place, with Luka Vuskovic and Giorgi Gocholeishvili sitting the session out as they manage their workload after an intense period. Captain Yussuf Poulsen (minor muscle strain in hip) and centre-back Daniel Elfadli (adductor injury) worked individually. “Yussi is working hard on his comeback. He’s looking to make the next step and we hope he can be back in full training by the end of the week. Sunday might just come too soon for him though,” said Polzin. The Hamburg native, who celebrated one year in charge recently, was more optimistic about Elfadli’s potential involvement at the weekend: “I’m a lot more hopeful because he’s injured a lot less frequently and rarely has muscular problems. He’s got a check-up at the end of the week, so we’ll wait and see.” Jean-Luc Dompé is still recovering from his Achilles tendon issues, and so is training with a reduced workload, given the upcoming busy week. The Frenchman did not train on Tuesday, but did complete an individual session on Wednesday (26th November). “Unfortunately, he’s still dealing with issues that prevent him from playing pain-free. We’re taking that into account and planning around our upcoming games, not that they’re any less important.”