By Daily Sports on May 26, 2020
Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels and Axel Witsel look set to be fit in time for Tuesday’s Bundesliga big game against leaders Bayern Munich, with the Ruhr valley club attempting to cut the gap and stay in the running for the title.
Second-placed Dortmund, four points behind the Bavarians and without injured captain Marco Reus and defender Dan Axel Zagadou, know that failure to win could prove costly with seven games left in the campaign.
But coach Lucien Favre said central defender Hummels looks set to recover from a heel injury and fit-again midfielder Witsel was back in training.
Hummels was taken off at halftime in Saturday’s 2-0 win at VfL Wolfsburg with a nagging heel injury. Belgium international Witsel has not played since the league restart 10 days ago.
“We will have to see at the last minute but I think it will be alright, 99 percent Mats will be there,” Favre said on Monday. “Axel trained yesterday with the team again and could be in the squad.”
Dortmund will need all the help they can get against the in-form Bavarians, who like them have won six games in a row including the last two since the Bundesliga resumed following a break of more than two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With games played without fans for health safety reasons, Dortmund, who lost 4-0 at Bayern earlier in the season, will badly be missing the 80 000 crowd at their home stadium on Tuesday.
But Favre said the team was stronger now than earlier in the campaign, following the arrival of Emre Can and Erling Haaland in the winter transfer window.
“We do not think back to that first game. We have forgotten it. We did not play well,” Favre said.
“We now play a system that better fits our squad and we have also brought in Emre Can and Erling Haaland as reinforcements in the winter who have further increased our quality.”
The 19-year-old Haaland has taken the Bundesliga by storm with 10 goals in his first 10 matches so far. Dortmund, however, will also need to stop Bayern from adding to their record haul of 80 goals this season, 27 of which have come from Robert Lewandowski. (Reuters)
•PHOTO: Mat Hummels
Source Daily Sports
Posted May 26, 2020
You may also like...
Harry Kane: England captain believes Three Lions can...
How Adesanya beat nine men in three nights...
‘Respected’ Man City now belong among European heavyweights,...
Rangnick admits Maguire might be removed as Man...
I'm not like others - Ronaldo
Rangers depart for Cairo as Al Merreikh storm...

Okoye pleased with Lazio draw
Simba agent confirms Nwabali interest
Wakama confident of bright D’Tigress future
Okezie runs 300m PB in South Africa
Falcons to discover 2028 Olympics route today
Nigeria arrive Botswana for World Relays
Nigeria begin World Table Tennis Champs quest in London
Flamingos thrash Nazareth 7-0 in W’Cup qualifier prep
Lagos SWAN Rejects Aaron Akerejola's Acting Chairman Claim
Boxers deliver perfect punches at LBHF monthly showdown
NBF Appoints Omo-Agege Chairman Pro-boxing Commitee
NOC Commends NSSF, Backs school Volleyball Champs
Rangers International going, going . . . (63,732 views)
Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (55,053 views)
Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (52,988 views)
Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (52,576 views)
Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (52,509 views)
Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (52,406 views)
Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (52,259 views)
NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (51,804 views)
Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (50,991 views)
Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (49,498 views)
Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (47,915 views)
John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (47,376 views)