Expected Borussia Dortmund lineup for VfB Stuttgart clash

Borussia Dortmund will hope to keep their winning run going this weekend as they take on VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga.

A decisive month awaits Borussia Dortmund in their quest for a top four finish and a deep run in the UEFA Champions League. And it gets underway with a home game against VfB Stuttgart, who are also in the running to finish in the Bundesliga top four.

The Black and Yellows have already been beaten twice by Stuttgart this season, but will be full of confidence ahead of Saturday's topspiel following their memorable win over Bayern Munich last weekend.

Borussia Dortmund will also be boosted by the returns of Gregor Kobel and Marcel Sabitzer, although Donyell Malen remains a major doubt due to his muscle injury.

Here we take a look at how Borussia Dortmund could line up for their Bundesliga clash against VfB Stuttgart this weekend.

Gregor Kobel appears to have recovered from his illness, and will likely replace Alexander Meyer between the sticks on Saturday. The Swiss shot-stopper could be in for a tough assignment against his former club.

Julian Ryerson came up with another crucial goal for Borussia Dortmund last weekend, and will start at right-back against Stuttgart. Ian Maatsen will line up on the opposite flank.

Mats Hummels and Nico Schlotterbeck earned rave reviews for their dominant defensive performance against Bayern Munich. Another difficult challenge now lies in store for them against the free-scoring duo of Serhou Guirassy and Deniz Undav.

In midfield, Emre Can will likely keep his spot in the number six role. Marcel Sabitzer could replace Felix Nmecha after serving his two-match suspension. The Austrian international was in excellent form before his red card against Werder Bremen last month.

Julian Brandt is expected to start in attacking midfield once again, with Karim Adeyemi and Jadon Sancho set to play as the two wide forwards. Niclas Füllkrug will start up front again for Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

Expected Borussia Dortmund Starting XI vs VfB Stuttgart: Kobel - Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen - Can, Sabitzer, Brandt - Adeyemi, Sancho - Füllkrug