Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck in line for return to action against Wolfsburg | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovac has confirmed that Nico Schlotterbeck may feature in his matchday squad this weekend. Schlotterbeck – who almost certainly won’t be fit enough to start yet – hasn’t featured for Dortmund since tearing his meniscus after a Bundesliga fixture against Mainz last March.

Schlotterbeck’s recovery from major surgery to his meniscus proceeds slightly ahead of schedule. BVB will certainly be happy to welcome the 20-times-capped international back. Just prior to his injury, Schlotterbeck recorded two assists in a novel role as a set-piece taker against Mainz.

The Dortmund defensive corps already finds itself short-staffed due to the longer term absence of Niklas Süle and captain Emré Can. Newly-acquired Chelsea loanee Aarón Anselmino has been struggling with muscular issues and missed the last two matches.

Kovac has been using fullback/wingback Julian Ryerson as a makeshift defender in his back-three over the past two games. The BVB defense ended up conceding four goals against Juventus in Tuesday’s Champions League opener.

“If he’s feeling it, he can be an option for the squad,” Kovac noted at a Friday press conference.

GGFN | Peter Weis