Dortmund face injury crisis ahead of DFB-Pokal clash with Wolfsburg

By SABC Sport
28th October 2024

Borussia Dortmund are headed into their DFB-Pokal match against Wolfsburg on Tuesday with a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the squad due to a growing injury list.

Coach Nuri Sahin has expressed his concerns during a press conference, stating, "I've got the list with me, and it's getting longer and longer," highlighting the struggles his team faced.

Key players, including Karim Adeyemi, Giovanni Reyna, Julien Duranville, Yan Couto, and Niklas Sule, were confirmed to be sidelined, significantly depleting Dortmund's options.

Additionally, the situation grew more precarious after Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Augsburg, which left Julian Ryerson, Waldemar Anton, and Marcel Sabitzer in doubt for the cup tie.

Sahin revealed that Ryerson would undergo further examinations, noting, "I don't have high hopes for him."

The coach remained optimistic about Sabitzer and Anton, insisting, "Both are feeling a bit better.

"Whether they can play will be decided relatively close to kick-off," underlining the importance of every passing hour.

Despite the mounting injuries, Sahin refrained from attributing blame, stating, "If we had eight muscle injuries right now, we could talk about whether we're doing something wrong."

The resilience of Dortmund's squad would be put to the test as they aimed to advance in the prestigious cup competition.