Jude Bellingham admits to being fatigued as fixture congestion starts to take its toll on Borussia Dortmund players

The gruelling run of fixtures is starting to take its toll on the Borussia Dortmund players, with Jude Bellingham revealing he was fatigued both before and after the game against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Teams in Europe are having to deal with an unprecedented fixture congestion this season to fit in the FIFA World Cup which is due to get underway next month. Borussia Dortmund played nine games in October alone, with games coming every three days.

Jude Bellingham admitted to being fatigued after Borussia Dortmund’s 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday. The midfielder said that he felt tired going into the game, and added that he has been dealing with a few small knocks and injuries.

"“To be honest, it was not my best game. I was very tired coming into the game, I had a few little knocks and small injuries. But I always know that with the talent and quality around me that when I get the chance I can always deliver. And I was lucky enough to do that [against Eintracht Frankfurt].”"

Bellingham has made more appearances than any other player for Borussia Dortmund this season. The 19 year old has been involved in all 19 of his team’s games so far. And he is also expected to play a key role for England at the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

Bellingham is not the only Borussia Dortmund player feeling the after-effects of the team’s packed fixture list this season. BVB head coach Edin Terzic revealed after the game against Eintracht Frankfurt that Julian Brandt signalled to him at half-time that he would need to be substituted.

The Black and Yellows have four more games left to play before the World Cup gets underway in Qatar next month. The Bundesliga players will at least get a month long winter break after the World Cup ends, with the season set to resume on January 20.