Relegation strugglers VfB Stuttgart welcome FC Augsburg to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday, with Markus Weinzierl’s side sitting just two points of a European qualification position.

Having secured just nine points all season, with two wins from a possible even, VfB coach Armin Veh will clash with his home side. With the 53-year-old featuring for Augsburg between 1978 and 1979, followed by a second spell from 1985 to 1987, he will face an emotional return to his boyhood club, with his current side sitting in 18th place.

A reunion is also in order for Moritz Leitner, who spent the latter half of the 2010/11 season on loan with FC Augsburg. The attacker managed nine appearances within the second division, while providing two assists in a season which saw the Fuggerstädter grain promotion to Germany’s top tier.

We have already shown courageous acts in several games, but missed the reward, and now we want to be brave within our build up.

Previously meeting six times in the Bundesliga prior to this weekend’s clash, three wins and three defeats for both sides sees the two clubs yet to share the points. Furthermore, there have always been at least three goals in all six games, with both teams also sharing the honours between 1975 and 1977 with two wins apiece when battling in the 2. Bundesliga.

As Stuttgart’s Weinzierl is determined to clinch at least a point against the side currently sitting in seventh place, 12 points behind current league leaders Bayern Munich, he said:

“As a player in the Bundesliga you cannot afford to make mistakes. The players have to be mature in the situation, but we cannot change anything.

"We have already shown courageous acts in several games, but missed the reward, and now we want to be brave within our build up.”

The hosts will be without seven players, as Daniel Schwwab, Daniel Didavi, Mohammed Adbellaoue and Vedad Ibsievic are all out with ankle, thigh, cartilage and foot injurys respectively. Meanwhile, Tim Leibold, Raphael Holzhauser and Robin Yalcin will represent the Under-23 side.

Infleuntial figures Martin Harnik, Gotoku Sakai, Chelsea’s loanee Oriol Romeu and Timo Werner all are expected to be available for the clash.

European hopefuls Augsburg are also without a number of stars, with ten players failing to make the cut for the squad. Ioannis Gelios, Raphael Framberger, Tim Rieder, Arif Ekin, Max Reinthaler and Marco Schuster are all exclude due to poor form, while Marcel de Jong remains in rehabilitation.

Ronny Philp continues to suffer from a torn tendon, while Jan Movarek is unavailable due to his torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament. Shawn Parker has since been ruled out with a knee injury.

A win for the hosts could see them avoid the relegation zone, while a win for Augsburg could see them potentially rise to a European qualification position.