Schlotterbeck returns, but two Dortmund stars miss out ahead of City clash | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund travels to Manchester with mixed feelings. While Nico Schlotterbeck returns just in time, another star might be absent – and Julian Brandt is being rested.

Relief at Borussia Dortmund – but also slight concerns ahead of the Champions League clash at Manchester City (Wednesday, 9 PM/DAZN). Defense chief Nico Schlotterbeck is back in team training after recovering from a cold. The 25-year-old, who missed the 1-0 win at FC Augsburg due to the flu, was fully back on the field with the team on Tuesday. According to Bild, Schlotterbeck appeared "relaxed, fully resilient, and joked with teammates." This confirms: He will fly to Manchester – and everything indicates that he will also be in the starting lineup.

Coach Niko Kovac had explained after the Augsburg match: "He was down today and was not ready to play." Now the national defender can step in again – an important signal ahead of the duel with former BVB striker Erling Haaland, who has already scored 17 goals in 13 competitive matches this season.

While Schlotterbeck became fit in time, two BVB stars missed the final training: Niklas Süle and Julian Brandt.

BVB before City clash: Schlotterbeck fit, concerns about Süle and Brandt

As reported by Ruhr24, Süle continued to pause due to toe problems. Bild also writes that time might be "too tight" for the 30-year-old. Thus, the defender is likely to miss the flight to England.

Julian Brandt, on the other hand, trained individually. The 29-year-old was rested for load management reasons. There is no injury, Brandt is expected to travel to Manchester and could at least be on the bench there. Alongside Schlotterbeck, captain Emre Can was also back. The midfielder had been in the squad for the first time after a long injury break during the Augsburg match.

After three matchdays, both BVB and Manchester City are tied with seven points in the group stage. The duel at the Etihad Stadium is thus decisive in the battle for the group victory. Dortmund's defense has recently been incredibly strong – during the sixth clean sheet of the season in Augsburg, they even set a club record. Now the defense should also hold in Manchester – with Nico Schlotterbeck back in the center, but likely without Niklas Süle and with question marks over Julian Brandt.

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