Slumping Wolfsburg drop friendly match and lose captain Maximilian Arnold to injury

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Bundesliga outfit VfL Wolfsburg – already in crisis heading into the October international break – are now facing fresh concerns. Head coach Paul Simonis’ Lower Saxon Autostädter looked completely limp in a 0-2 test fixture loss against 2. Bundesliga side Hertha on Wednesday. VfL squad captain Maximilian Arnold had to exit proceedings injured in the 9th minute. 

Kicker reports that Arnold’s thigh injury may be serious enough to sideline the skipper for months. Simonis confirmed that Arnold is scheduled for further examinations tomorrow. After winning their opening Bundesliga match against the league’s current last-placed side, 1. FC Heidenheim, Simonis’ Wolfsburg drew twice before losing their last three fixtures heading into the October break. 

Germany’s green company team presently finds themselves 15th-place in the Bundesliga table. Simonis’ team have also lost their last two test fixtures against 2. Bundesliga opponents Paderborn and Hertha. The newly appointed head coach – by far the most inexperienced of the 18 coaches in the German top flight – also answered questions about job security after the Hertha loss. 

“Of course, we have to deliver,” Simonis said. “We have to win games. I [still] don’t feel any particular pressure because we know – and it’s obvious enough – that we need time.“

GGFN | Peter Weis