Borussia Mönchengladbach go into Friday’s Stuttgart Vs Mönchengladbach fixture with a major personnel problem, after coach Alexander Blessin confirmed that nine professionals are unavailable. For a side already bottom of the Bundesliga on zero points, it is the sort of shortage that makes the trip to VfB Stuttgart feel even heavier.
It is not just the number that stands out. Blessin’s team are already trying to stop a run that could become a seventh straight loss, which would deepen an already severe crisis. The game is scheduled for 20.30 Uhr on Sky, and the pressure around Borussia is rising by the day.
Blessin’s warning is blunt
The coach did not try to dress up the situation. He said there is a “schönes weißes Papier, da stehen ein paar Namen drauf” and added: “Es hat sich nicht viel positiv verändert.” That is a direct assessment of a squad that remains stretched across the pitch, with absences in both attack and defence.
Blessin also made clear that the group still has a long way to go. “Wir müssen durch das Tal der Qualen. Wir haben schon noch ein paar Schritte zu gehen,” he said, which underlines how much work still has to be done after his arrival during the international break.
Only one natural striker remains
The most immediate concern is the forward line. Blessin said that “only Shuto Machino remains in the striker role in principle”, which leaves Borussia with very little room to rotate or adapt if the game turns against them in Stuttgart.
That matters because a depleted attack is one thing, but a thin squad against a Königsklassen-Club Stuttgart side is another. If Borussia cannot stay connected in the final third, they will be forced to defend for long stretches, and that is exactly the kind of scenario a struggling team wants to avoid.
The wider crisis around Borussia
The sporting difficulties are also feeding into the wider mood at the club. This week, the fan umbrella organization called for president Rainer Bonhof to resign, which shows how intense the pressure has become around Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Blessin, though, stressed that the atmosphere inside the camp remains controlled. “Dass jetzt hier nicht jeder auf den Tisch rumhüpft und Party macht, ist klar. Aber ich habe niemandem verboten zu lachen und ein paar Witze zu machen. Es ist sehr konzentriert, sehr fokussiert,” he said.
That is the balance he now has to manage: keeping the dressing room calm while the results remain bleak. On Friday night, Stuttgart Vs Mönchengladbach is not just another Bundesliga fixture. For Borussia, it is a test of resilience, depth and basic survival.
With nine professionals missing and the table already showing null points, the margin for error is almost gone. Another defeat would not only extend the misery, it could also push Borussia into a historic low point they can ill afford to reach.
