Borussia Dortmund injury update heading into the international break

It’s almost the end of the season. With a mere 7 matches to go, Borussia Dortmund has found themselves in a tough position. 5 of those 7 matches are against clubs in the top half of the table, 2 of which are against rivals both ahead of Dortmund in the table. It’s absolutely imperative with only 3 points between Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt below them that every point is won.

Keeping this in mind, we need to look at what Dortmund’s injury roster is like, and when we can expect some dearly missed and other not-so-missed players to return to the squad. Just to make sure I didn’t miss anybody, I checked Transfermarkt to see who was injured, and how much longer they would be out.

Erik Durm

Oh, the tragedy that is Erik Durm. He missed the first half of the season due to a hip surgery last September. Finally, in January, it seemed he was going to be back, only to injure himself in training by tearing an ankle ligament. Transfermarkt has no information on an expected return for him, and considering how much time he has missed and his overall quality as a player, there is a good chance we will see Durm sold in the near future.

Andriy Yarmolenko

Oh, the tragedy that is Andriy Yarmolenko. Whoops. Let that one slip in there. As I was saying, Yarmolenko has been injured since the end of January, which has actually been a bit of a blessing in disguise. André Schürrle was rumored to be on his way out of the Dortmund camp, but was found to be needed once Yarmolenko injured himself in training. Since then, Schürrle has found his form again and proven Stöger’s faith in him is at least semi-justified. Yarmolenko ended up hurting his foot, and is going to be out until sometime in April. Considering the high possibility that at least one of our other wingers will get injured between now and the end of the season, there’s a chance he could be influential in Dortmund’s last games.

Many fans have voiced their desire to see him gone this summer after his highly anticipated arrival was followed by subpar performances. Personally, I don’t believe a player should be sold after a single season, and I would really like to see if he finds his form next season with Dortmund. If not, then I agree, he needs to go.

Shinji Kagawa

Kagawa being out injured has hurt the team a lot more than most realize. The Japanese international’s attacking prowess has often been the sole reason that Dortmund has won games this season. Whether or not it’s being in the right place at the right time, or just being the energy in the final third of the pitch, he’s had a good season overall. Transfermarkt has him coming back early April, so he will definitely have a chance to play against some of Dortmund’s final opponents. I’m excited to see if he can pull off anything with Reus on the pitch.

Sebastian Rode

Oh, the tragedy that is Sebasti-. Seriously? Again? Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. There’s not really too much to say about Sebastian. His arrival at Dortmund made many scratch their heads as to why it happened, and with Weigl being in the lineup during the Tuchel era, he wasn’t really needed. Rode has been out since last August with groin issues, then recently he had an operation that will cause him to miss the rest of the season.

Despite being what many consider a mediocre player, he at least loves Borussia Dortmund and is a big fan, which is a quality we definitely don’t see often today. However, don’t be surprised if he leaves this summer.

Dan-Axel Zagadou

This one is perhaps the most annoying. Zagadou has had an interesting first season with Borussia Dortmund. Under Peter Bosz, he was highly favored, even though he was deployed as a fullback. Now, under Peter Stöger, he has hardly seen the pitch. He made it into the starting eleven against RB Salzburg, but didn’t have a great game.

Kicker is reporting that Zagadou will be out for several weeks due to a muscle tear, most likely well into April. This isn’t hugely devastating, as Dortmund still have Akanji, Sokratis, and Toprak at their disposal.

Ömer Toprak and Marco Reus

If you read the above article from the German outlet, you will see that Toprak sustained a minor injury recently, but he will not miss any games. BVB is being cautious, however, and Toprak is staying in Dortmund during the international break so as not to aggravate this problem.

DON’T PANIC! I REPEAT! DO NOT PANIC! Reus is not “injured.” Michael Zorc has come out and said that he has had some slight muscle problems, which could not have come at a better time, seeing as he has the international break to rest and heal up.

It is good that the BVB staff realize this, and deal with it accordingly. You can’t be too careful with Reus.

Realistically, I think Kagawa is the only player that will come back and make anything of an impact on the end of the season. He won’t get to play against Bayern, and there’s a chance he won’t play against Schalke, but he can definitely be influential in helping pick up the rest of the points for the season. Dortmund will need him, especially against Leverkusen and Hoffenheim.

What do you guys think? In this list, who should we get rid of? Who should we keep or at least loan out? Who are you waiting for to come back from injury?