BVB squad at Union: Late star withdrawal for Niko Kovac | OneFootball

Before the away game at Union Berlin, Borussia Dortmund has to cope with a short-term setback. Coach Niko Kovac loses an important defensive player with Niklas Süle.

How will Borussia Dortmund respond to the recent defeat against Tottenham? This question arises ahead of the first away Bundesliga match of the second half of the season at 1. FC Union Berlin, both in terms of sports and personnel. Coach Niko Kovac has to deal with another setback on Saturday evening: Niklas Süle is out at short notice.

As reported by Ruhr Nachrichten, the central defender is suffering from back problems and was unavailable after the final training session. Kovac had already confirmed at the press conference that Marcel Sabitzer is still out due to his calf injury. This means BVB will have to do without two established regulars in Berlin.

Despite the absences, the defense is not completely thinned out. With the return of Aaron Anselmino, Kovac has additional options in central defense, and youngster Filippo Mané is also part of the squad. Overall, the coach nominated a broad lineup, including goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, defense chief Nico Schlotterbeck, captain Emre Can, as well as offensive players like Julian Brandt, Karim Adeyemi, and striker Serhou Guirassy.

BVB with a strong record against Union Berlin

Sportingly, second-placed Dortmund goes into the duel with ninth-placed Berlin with a strong record. BVB has won eight of the last ten encounters. Notably, in all 13 previous Bundesliga duels, there has always been a winner – and the team that took a 1-0 lead always won. At the same time, the Alte Försterei remains a challenging ground: Dortmund has only won two of the six matches played there so far.

Kick-off at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei is at 18:30. The top match of the 19th matchday will be broadcast live and exclusively on Sky, with pre-match coverage starting at 17:30.

The BVB squad for the game at 1. FC Union Berlin:

Goalkeepers: Kobel, Meyer Defense: Schlotterbeck, Anton, Can, Anselmino, Mané, Svensson, Bensebaini, Couto, Ryerson Midfield: Nmecha, Bellingham, Chukwuemeka, Özcan, Brandt Forwards: Adeyemi, Beier, Guirassy, Silva

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