Wolfsburg vs. Hoffenheim: probable line-ups, match stats and LIVE blog

Wolfsburg's centre-back John Brooks may not have Hoffenheim's top scorer Andrej Kramaric to contend with on Sunday. - © DFL 

US national team centre-back John Brooks is part of the second-tightest defence in the Bundesliga, and he may not have Hoffenheim's top scorer Andrej Kramaric to contend with when Wolfsburg host the Sinsheimers on Sunday (kick-off: 3.30pm CET/2.30pm GMT/10.30am ET).

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Brooks is the only Wolfsburg defender to have started all six games for Oliver Glasner's side this season, but regardless of whom the hulking left-footer has had for company, the Wolves have only let in four goals - a tally second only to Borussia Dortmund's (2) at this early stage of the season. 

Unfortunately for Sunday's hosts, they have only scored one more goal at the other end, which is a league third-worst record. 

Wolfsburg only mustered four shots on target in last Sunday's 1-1 draw at Hertha Berlin, a result which left them, perhaps unsurprisingly, in 11th on eight points. Wout Weghorst - who scored a team-high 16 goals last season - will lead the line unimpeded, especially with Daniel Ginczek struggling for match fitness. 

Glasner could be tempted to add Maximilian Philipp in from the start with the on-loan Dynamo Moscow forward reportedly absorbing the team's philosophy quickly in training, but club captain Josuha Guilavogui remains sidelined with a thigh complaint.

Hoffenheim begin the day one place and point worse off than their hosts, with Monday's 3-1 loss at home to Union Berlin capping off an unwanted four-game stretch without a Bundesliga win - which has at least been interspersed with victories over Red Star Belgrade and Gent in the UEFA Europa League. 

Glasner's opposite number Sebastian Hoeneß - who steered Bayern's reserves to the 3. Liga title last season - hasn't been helped by the absences of top scorer Andrej Kramaric and Czech Republic wing-back Pavel Kaderabek of late. The pair, alongside Ghana centre-back Kasim Adams, are available again after a period of isolation following the last international break, but Hoeneß has said he is loath to rush them back to first-team action. 

Danish left sider Robert Skov is suspended, so Ryan Sessegnon is set for his second Bundesliga start having arrived on loan from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window.

Match stats

• Wolfsburg have only lost one of their last eight Bundesliga meetings with Hoffenheim. The Sinsheimers have not come away with all three points from the Volkswagen Arena since February 2012, when Roberto Firmino - now of Liverpool - helped them to a 2-1 win.

• Wolfsburg are undefeated after six games - a club joint-record at this stage of the season - but five of those have been draws.

• Wolves centre-back John Anthony Brooks is one of five Bundesliga players called up to the latest USMNT squad, alongside Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Chris Richards (Bayern Munich), Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig) and Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen).

• Hoffenheim would be relieved to welcome back the Bundesliga's September Player of the Month, Kramaric - if only from the bench. With the Croatia forward they have scored eight goals in picking up six points from three games; without him, they have only managed two goals and one point from the other three fixtures.

• Hoffenheim pipped Wolfsburg to automatic Europa League qualification on the final day of last season, beating Borrussia Dortmund 4-0 thanks to Kramaric's four-goal haul - which included a no-look penalty.

• Sessegnon is the second Englishman to play for Hoffenheim after Reiss Nelson, the Arsenal-owned winger who scored seven goals in 23 games under Julian Nagelsmann in 2018/19.

Probable line-ups:

Wolfsburg (4231): 

1 Casteels (c)

20 Baku        4 Lacroix        25 Brooks        15 Roussillon

24 Schlager       27 Arnold

8 Steffen        14 Mehmedi        7 Brekalo

9 Weghorst

Coach: Oliver Glasner

Out: Bruma (thigh), Ginczek (muscular), Guilavogui (thigh), Paulo Otavio (hamstring); 

Doubtful: Malli (muscular), Mbabu (match fitness), William (match fitness)

Hoffenheim (3412): 

1 Baumann (c)

6 Nordtveit        22 Vogt (vc)        25 Akpoguma

16 Rudy        11 Grillitsch        18 Samassékou        17 Sessegnon

14 Baumgartner

10 Dabbur            19 Belfodil

Coach: Sebastian Hoeneß 

Out: Hubner; Bicakcic (ACL knee), Geiger (hand), Posch (left ankle), Stafylidis (shoulder); Adams, Kramaric, Kaderabek, Bruun Larsen (coronavirus)

Doubtful: Hübner (ankle)

Suspended: Skov