Salih Özcan injured – has he played his last game for BVB? | OneFootball

Since Waldemar Anton and Aaron Anselmino were, as expected, ruled out after sustaining injuries in the Champions League match against FK Bodö/Glimt, and Marcel Sabitzer and Julian Brandt were also unable to play, Borussia Dortmund’s personnel situation was far from ideal ahead of Sunday’s away game at SC Freiburg (1:1). Salih Özcan was also absent in Breisgau, with an explanation for his absence only provided after the match.

While before the departure to Freiburg, the absence of talents Cole Campbell and Julian Duranville from the squad for disciplinary reasons was a major topic, Özcan’s absence was barely mentioned. In fact, coach Niko Kovac only filled 18 of the 20 spots in the matchday squad and had two goalkeepers, Alexander Meyer and Patrick Drewes, on the bench.

Transfer already in winter?

Özcan, who was last included in the squad on November 22 in the 3:3 draw against VfB Stuttgart, was not simply overlooked but is unavailable due to Achilles tendon problems, as Kovac rather casually revealed after the match in Freiburg.

With Jobe Bellingham suspended after his red card in Freiburg and Ramy Bensebaini traveling to the Africa Cup of Nations, two more players will be missing for Friday’s match against Borussia Mönchengladbach, making it highly unlikely that Özcan will be an option.

The mere fact that Özcan’s injury went unnoticed and unreported for a considerable time gives a clear indication of the Turkish international’s standing at the club. In any case, Özcan has no future at BVB beyond the expiration of his contract on June 30, 2026. While it was previously said that the 27-year-old would only look to move in the summer, recent weeks may have prompted a rethink.

BVB, for their part, would hardly stand in Özcan’s way if a club interested in signing the midfielder were to come forward in January. Several top Turkish clubs have long been rumored to be interested, as have speculations about a return to 1. FC Köln. Nothing concrete has materialized so far, but it is not necessarily expected that Özcan will wear the black and yellow jersey again.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.