Borussia Dortmund's towering centre-back, Nico Schlotterbeck, suffered a left knee injury back in April and was ruled out for six months. Schlotterbeck's recovery is progressing well, and the prognosis is looking good ahead of the new season.
According to WAZ's Christian Woop, Schlotterbeck is right on schedule with his recovery from a torn meniscus and on track to return to the pitch in October. As long as he doesn't suffer any setbacks in rehab, he'll be able to rejoin the team around Matchday 6 against RB Leipzig.
Nico Schlotterbeck's speed is crucial to Dortmund
Fellow BVB defender Waldemar Anton commented on the 25-year-old's recovery, praising the club's athletics and medical department. He's hoping that Schlotterbeck won't lose his speed, which is one of his best qualities as a centre-back.
""When Schlotti is back in training and has to run, it will go away quickly. As long as everything stays the same, his speed, for example, everything's fine – our athletics department won't have a problem with that.""Waldemar Anton
Woop also reported that Dortmund's bosses are worried about the vulnerability of the team's defense due to Schlotterbeck's injury. Die Schwarzgelben currently has two healthy centre-backs in Niklas Sule and Ramy Bensebaini after selling Soumaila Coulibaly to Strasbourg for
€7.5 million.
Sule didn't impress at the Club World Cup, while Bensebaini was previously linked to a move to France. BVB captain Emre Can, who can play as a centre-back, is expected to make a full recovery from his adductor injury before training camp. He'll be available to cover the defense, while Julian Ryerson could also be used in the three-man backline lineup.
One name that has come up as a possible transfer target is Real Madrid's 18-year-old defender, Diego Aguado. He only has one senior appearance for Madrid in the Copa del Rey and is reportedly available for around €10 million.