Kovac under pressure: BVB field depleted side against Gladbach | OneFootball

Before the last game of the year against Gladbach, Borussia Dortmund is deeply entrenched in a personnel crisis. Injuries, suspensions, and internal measures force coach Niko Kovac to field a skeleton team.

Borussia Dortmund enters the year's finale on Friday (8:30 PM) against Borussia Mönchengladbach significantly weakened. Injuries, suspensions, and disciplinary measures mean that coach Niko Kovac has few alternatives left – both in terms of personnel and tactics.

Already during the 1-1 draw in Freiburg, it became clear how tense the situation is. BVB traveled with an extremely depleted squad, at times having only five outfield players on the bench. Not only was the personnel shortage noticeable, but also the deliberate absence of two offensive talents: Cole Campbell and Julian Duranville were not included in the squad for disciplinary reasons, according to kicker report. Kovac did not elaborate publicly and simply stated: "If I don't take a player with me, there are always reasons for it."

Behind the scenes, Duranville has long been considered a problematic case. The Belgian reportedly has repeatedly failed to show the necessary intensity in training, and he even arrived late for the final training session recently. Campbell was also dropped due to poor training performances. Whether both will play a role against Gladbach remains open – there would certainly be room in the squad given the situation.

Africa Cup hits BVB hard: Bensebaini misses Gladbach match

The list of absentees is getting longer. Rami Bensebaini is traveling with Algeria to the Africa Cup and will miss at least the last home game of the year. Jobe Bellingham is suspended after his red card, Salih Özcan is struggling with Achilles tendon problems. Additionally, Waldemar Anton and Aaron Anselmino's thigh injuries will likely end their football year 2025, according to Bild. There are also major question marks over Julian Brandt (ankle) and Marcel Sabitzer (muscle tightness).

The situation is particularly critical in defense. With the absence of Anton, Anselmino, and Bensebaini's departure for the Africa Cup, a personnel bottleneck looms. The core players left are Nico Schlotterbeck, Emre Can, Niklas Süle, and Julian Ryerson. However, Can is not fully fit.

Kovac recently confirmed: "With Emre, it's such that he still feels something. It's not yet completely gone." Süle, on the other hand, is only slowly returning after an injury break. Thus, BVB goes into the duel with Gladbach with a true skeleton team – and is likely eagerly anticipating the upcoming winter break.

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