Why is Fabio Silva not starting for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga top match on matchday four, VfB Stuttgart vs Borussia Dortmund? Is the striker injured or is it a tactical decision by coach Niko Kovac?

Fabio Silva has already scored four goals in all competitions for Borussia Dortmund in this still young season. In the Bundesliga match away to VfB Stuttgart, the 24-year-old must initially take his place on the bench. SPOX reveals what is behind it.

Fabio Silva has been one of Borussia Dortmund's standout players in the still-young Bundesliga season. The BVB striker has already scored four goals and registered another assist in five appearances across all competitions. His link-up with Dortmund's other striker Serhou Guirassy has been especially impressive, with each setting up the other over the past week in the Bundesliga and the Champions League.

Now Guirassy has praised his strike partner and said he would be happy if the pair were allowed to play together more often.

Last week on the third Bundesliga matchday, Silva made his first Bundesliga start of the season in the 3-0 win against SV Paderborn. He impressed all round.

Even so, Fabio Silva, who also flirted with a move away in the summer because he was not always satisfied with his playing time last season, will start on the bench again for BVB's away game at VfB Stuttgart this Saturday. The question was whether the 24-year-old was injured or whether the decision to drop him back to the bench was purely tactical.

Asked by Sky, Dortmund coach Niko Kovac gave the answer: "Fabio has done really well recently. I told him that too. But today we are playing away," said Kovac. They therefore needed someone a little stronger defensively than the Portuguese.

That means BVB are set to start in Stuttgart in their tried and tested 3-4-2-1 system, with Guirassy as the lone striker. Behind him, Ethan Nwaneri and Maximilian Beier are expected to operate as a kind of double No 10, with holding midfielders Felix Nmecha and Joey Veerman behind them.

How VfB Stuttgart and BVB line up on Bundesliga matchday four: the starting XIs

VfB Stuttgart: Bredlow - Vagnoman, Jeltsch, Chabot, Mittelstädt - Prömel, Stiller - El Khannous, Undav, Führich - Demirovic.

Borussia Dortmund: Kobel - Schlotterbeck, Anton, Gadou - Ryerson, Nmecha, Veerman, Svensson - Beier, Nwaneri - Guirassy

Where is VfB Stuttgart vs BVB live today? This is the channel showing / broadcasting the Bundesliga top match featuring Borussia Dortmund on TV and livestream