Hoffenheim coach Ralf Rangnick is confident striker Demba Ba will remain at the club next season.

This despite renewed speculation linking him with a move to Bundesliga rivals Stuttgart.

Ba, who has reportedly already undergone a medical at Stuttgart, was absent from the club's first day of pre-season training today due to injury.

But Rangnick still expects to see the Senegal international lining up for his side next term.

"I would prefer it if he stayed with us," he said. "I expect him to stay."

Ba has already expressed his desire to join Stuttgart and claimed he is "no longer thinking about Hoffenheim".

His current employers, though, have so far blocked his attempts to leave.

Stuttgart remain on the look-out for a replacement for Mario Gomez, whom they sold to Bayern Munich for 30 million euros earlier this summer, and are reported to have raised their offer for Ba to 17 million euros.