Borussia Dortmund defenders Waldemar Anton and Almugera Kabar’s availability for Friday’s Bundesliga showdown against Bayer Leverkusen is in doubt due to an illness, coach Nuri Şahin revealed.
“We’re dealing with a bit of a flu wave, so we’ll have to wait and see,” Şahin said during Wednesday’s press conference.
Adding to Dortmund’s defensive concerns, Niklas Süle is sidelined with an injury, and midfielder Pascal Groß will miss the match due to suspension following his red card in last month’s 3-1 victory over VfL Wolfsburg.
Şahin acknowledged the challenge ahead, noting that facing reigning champions Leverkusen, unbeaten in the league since August, would be a tough test.
“(Coach) Xabi Alonso has changed everything at Leverkusen. He has stabilized them and added more and more. They’re exceptionally good. It’s a team that has a lot of control in the game, but we want that too,” Şahin said.
Dortmund are unbeaten in their last five matches, including a draw with leaders Bayern Munich in November, as they look to close a two-point gap on the top four to qualify for the Champions League.
“A win would be extremely important for the table. We’re playing against a top opponent. We’ve always performed well against these teams so far. We want to get into a flow for the new year with a good game,” Şahin added.