Borussia Dortmund face selection headache in defence with injuries and suspensions piling up

Borussia Dortmund head coach Lucien Favre will be forced to rejig his back three for at least the next two games as injuries and suspensions start to pile up.

Dan-Axel Zagadou has been out with a knee injury since August, and it looks like he will not be returning to the pitch anytime soon. The Frenchman is currently working individually towards his comeback, but Borussia Dortmund will have to make do without him at least until the next international break. Sebastian Kehl told Ruhr Nachrichten, “It will take some time. We have to be patient,” but did not give an exact forecast on when the defender can return.

Meanwhile, Manuel Akanji remains in quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19 while on international duty with Switzerland. The 25 year old is back in Dortmund and is still symptom free, but it is highly unlikely that he will play in the Bundesliga game against TSG Hoffenheim on Saturday. The BVB bosses are in close contact with authorities in Dortmund, but it is still unclear when Akanji will be able to return to training.

That would leave Mats Hummels as Borussia Dortmund’s only fit senior centre-back. Emre Can and Lukasz Piszczek will likely join him in the back three for the game in Sinsheim. Can has started all five of the Black and Yellows’ games so far this season in the right centre-back role. While Piszczek has been limited to just two substitute appearances, and was recently out with a back injury.

Lucien Favre will then be forced into another selection headache ahead of next Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League group stage opener against Italian side SS Lazio, with Emre Can suspended after being sent off during the closing stages of Borussia Dortmund’s defeat to Paris St. Germain last season. And if Akanji isn’t available by then, we could either see one of Thomas Meunier and Axel Witsel in the back three, or a potential return to the back four formation.