Borussia Dortmund name UEFA Champions League group stage squad

Borussia Dortmund have submitted their squad for the UEFA Champions League group stage, and Marcel Schmelzer is the only notable exclusion.

Marcel Schmelzer underwent a knee surgery in July, and has been out of action ever since. The former Borussia Dortmund captain was expected to return to the pitch before the end of the year. But he has been excluded from the Black and Yellows’ squad for the UEFA Champions League group stage. The 32 year old will now have to wait until the round of 16 for his next appearance in Europe’s premier club competition.

Midfielder Tobias Raschl has been named in the 25 man Borussia Dortmund squad, along with Borussia Dortmund II goalkeeper Stefan Drljača. In addition, three players have been named in the B list which is reserved for players who were born on or after January 1, 1999, and have been eligible to play for the club for at least two consecutive years.

Players aged 16 may be added to the B list if they have been registered with a club for the previous two years. So while Youssoufa Moukoko has not been named in the squad yet, he can be added once he turns 16 next month, as UEFA rules state that each club can enter an unlimited number of players on the B list during the season. Currently, Luca Unbehaun, Ansgar Knauff and Dominik Wanner are the three Borussia Dortmund players currently on the B list.

Borussia Dortmund begin their Champions League campaign away to Italian side SS Lazio on October 20. They will also face Zenit Saint Petersburg and Club Brugge in the group stage.

Borussia Dortmund’s UEFA Champions League squad: Bürki, Unbehaun, Hitz, Drljaca, Morey, Zagadou, Guerreiro, Schulz, Hummels, Akanji, Can, Meunier, Piszczek, Delaney, Dahoud, Hazard, Reus, Brandt, Bellingham, Witsel, Passlack, Reyna, Knauff, Raschl, Wanner, Sancho, Haaland, Reinier