Borussia Dortmund trio facing extended time on the sidelines

Borussia Dortmund are set to be without three key players when the players return to training for the start of the second half of the season.

Preparations for the start of the Rückrunde will get underway at Borussia Dortmund on January 2, and the players will be put through their paces in the coming days ahead of the return of the Bundesliga in ten days' time.

The Black and Yellows will have to make do without Felix Nmecha, Julian Ryerson, and Karim Adeyemi, with Ruhr Nachrichten reporting that the key trio are not expected to return to action for at least the next four weeks.

Nmecha (hip) has been sidelined since November, while Ryerson (knee) and Adeyemi (syndesmosis ligament tear) both picked up injuries in December. It remains to be seen when exactly they will be able to return to action.

Borussia Dortmund will also be without Ramy Bensebaini and Sebastien Haller, with the duo on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations. This will leave Borussia Dortmund dangerously short of options at left-back, and those in charge are hoping to bring in a reinforcement in the coming days.

The injuries will present Paris Brunner with another opportunity to make an impact in the first-team, with the highly rated striker set to travel to the training camp in Marbella on Wednesday.

Borussia Dortmund will play two friendly matches in Marbella - against AZ Alkmaar and Standard Liège - before returning to Bundesliga action with an away game against SV Darmstadt on January 13.