Overview
- Karazor has not played a single minute in the 2026/27 season and was bypassed when Angelo Stiller was substituted injured in the Hoffenheim game on Monday, with coach Sebastian Hoeneß bringing on 19‑year‑old Yanik Spalt instead.
- Hoeneß has started the campaign with a central pairing of Angelo Stiller and summer signing Grischa Prömel rather than the club's only natural holding midfielder, which the coach says reflects Prömel's targeted role in the team.
- Journalists and club sources point to several heavy defeats this season, including losses to Bayern, Hansa Rostock, Köln and Stavanger, as signs that Stuttgart currently lacks the defensive stability a traditional 'holding six' would provide.
- Club officials and Hoeneß praised Spalt's preseason form and match traits, and the return of injured midfielder Nikolas Nartey after the international break will increase competition for central midfield minutes.
- Karazor has accepted his changed status professionally and the club reportedly would not have blocked a summer exit, so his future playing prospects now depend on tactical decisions by Hoeneß and possible roster moves after the international break.