Mainz vs VfB Stuttgart preview - Didavi boost for Stuttgart

Stuttgart coach Huub Stevens is set to receive a boost ahead of his side's trip to Mainz this weekend with Daniel Didavi back in training.

The wily winger was in a rich vein of form earlier this season before being sidelined by injury, and in view of last weekend's 4-0 defeat at home to Schalke, Didavi is just the kind of player Stevens needs to help turn things around for the bottom-placed Bundesliga club.

"It's looking good that he's going to be available," said Stevens.

Didavi has missed the last 10 weeks, during which the Swabians have slumped to the bottom of the standings.

He has only been able to watch on from the sidelines as Stuttgart have lost four of their last five matches.

"We need to keep positive," Didavi told Kicker magazine. "This is nothing compared to what I've been through, but now I'm feeling ready and expect to be back on Saturday.

"It's always good when you've been out for a while and people have such high hopes for when you return."

Stevens not only hopes Didavi delivers, but also that his team do not repeat their performance from a week ago.

"Not everything was bad against Schalke, but a lot was," said the Dutch coach. "We've got to be cleverer in certain situations and be more aggressive too."

Those are similar words to the ones chosen by Mainz coach Kasper Hjulmand, whose side have also hit a rough patch with just one win in their last 10 games.

"It's all about hard work and a good attitude," he said at a press conference. "We need to be well organised at the back and brutally efficient in attack."

The latter will be the job of former Stuttgart striker Shinji Okazaki, who has exploded since leaving Swabia for Mainz.

The Japanese forward is their top scorer this season with eight goals in 13 Bundesliga games.