Borussia Dortmund's illness woes and Donyell Malen's likely exit

Several key players, including Emre Can, Nico Schlotterbeck, Waldemar Anton, Ramy Bensebaini, Filippo Mane, and Alexander Meyer, missed the recent 3-2 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen due to sickness.

Head coach Nuri Sahin has provided an update on their conditions, stating, "They are feeling better, but we don't know yet if they can play."

Further complicating matters, Sahin mentioned during a press conference that there's uncertainty around the availability of attacking players Karim Adeyemi and Jamie Gittens.

Adeyemi is also dealing with illness, whereas Gittens has "slight problems."

In transfer news, Donyell Malen might have played his last game for Dortmund. Negotiations with Aston Villa have progressed, with reports indicating that a deal has been struck for around 25 million euros, with an additional 5 million euros in potential add-ons, of which 3 million are guaranteed.

Sahin expressed uncertainty regarding Malen's participation against Kiel, noting, "There is movement in the talks" for a January transfer.

Moreover, Dortmund will be without Pascal Gross, who is suspended, and Niklas Sule, who is out with a syndesmotic ligament tear.

Malen's potential departure marks the end of an era at Dortmund where he contributed significantly, playing 132 matches, scoring 39 goals, and providing 20 assists.

This match against Kiel is crucial for Dortmund, not just to regain form but also to manage the squad's health and transfer dynamics amidst these challenging times.

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