Borussia Dortmund face a defensive emergency for their Champions League tie against Atalanta, as Nico Schlotterbeck and Niklas Süle join a growing list of sidelined center-backs.
Borussia Dortmund will face Atalanta in Tuesday’s Champions League play-off without key center-backs Nico Schlotterbeck and Niklas Süle.
Schlotterbeck is sidelined with muscular issues, while Süle failed to recover from a thigh injury sustained during Friday’s victory over Mainz.
Head coach Niko Kovac confirmed the absences, which leave the German side with four recognized central defenders currently unavailable for the critical first-leg encounter.
With captain Emre Can and youngster Filippo Mané also ruled out, Kovac must find “creative” solutions to stabilize his backline.
The manager suggested that wing-back Julian Ryerson or midfielder Salih Özcan could be deployed in makeshift defensive roles.
Kovac noted the difficulty of the situation, stating, “We currently have four injured centre-backs. We don’t want to take any risks with [Nico] Schlotterbeck, so he’s not an option.”