Nikolas Nartey nears return as Stuttgart eye squad reintegration

Nikolas Nartey is moving closer to a comeback for VfB Stuttgart, with head coach Sebastian Hoeneb saying the midfielder could rejoin full team training as early as next week.

After a muscular injury, the 26-year-old has already been doing a significant amount on his own and is now approaching the final stage of his recovery.

Hoeneß sounded cautiously optimistic when discussing Nartey’s progress. “Niko Nartey is already doing quite a lot,” he said, adding that the club is hopeful the player may “be able to step back in early next week.”

That timeline means a return during the current week is still too soon, so Stuttgart will continue to be careful with his workload. The club does not want to rush him back before he is ready for the demands of match intensity and group training.

Whether Nartey can make the squad for Stuttgart’s Bundesliga match against Borussia Dortmund on September 19 remains uncertain. For now, the focus is simply on completing the next phase of rehab without setbacks.

A successful return would give Stuttgart another option in midfield at an important point in the season. The club will monitor his response closely before making any decision on his match involvement.