Borussia Dortmund goes into the Bundesliga continuation against champions Bayer Leverkusen in the evening (8.30 p.m./Sat.1 and DAZN) with a severe personnel shortage. As feared, coach Nuri Sahin has to do without the sick Nico Schlotterbeck, Waldemar Anton, Emre Can, Ramy Bensebaini and Alexander Meyer. Pascal Groß is suspended, Niklas Süle is injured. Marcel Sabitzer sits on the bench.
U23 player Yannik Lührs will make his starting eleven debut in central defense, probably alongside right-back Julian Ryerson. Yan Couto (right) and U17 world champion Almugera Kabar (left) defend on the outside, all other options are not available.
“The boys are all lying flat,” said Sahin before the game on DAZN: “It is what it is. We accept it. We will still do everything we have planned for the last ten days and then see what happens comes out.” BVB trained in small groups “so that we can separate ourselves,” said sports director Sebastian Kehl.
Leverkusen will initially be playing without national player Florian Wirtz, who is sitting on the bench. Midfield leader Granit Xhaka, who had pain in his ankle for days, is there. The injured striker Victor Boniface is still missing.
-BVB wants to start a race to catch up from sixth place in the table, which should at least lead back to the Champions League. Bayer is four points behind leaders Bayern Munich after 15 games. Due to heavy traffic, the game will start 15 minutes late.
Senegal
