Soccer Football - Champions League - Group F - Paris St Germain v Borussia Dortmund - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - September 19, 2023 Paris St Germain's Kylian Mbappe in action with Borussia Dortmund's Niklas Suele REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/ File Photo
DORTMUND, Germany (Reuters) - Borussia Dortmund will be without defender Niklas Suele for several months after he picked up an ankle injury in the league on Saturday, coach Nuri Sahin said on Tuesday ahead of their Champions League game against Barcelona.
Suele had only come back from an ankle injury on Nov. 30 in the league game against Bayern Munich but had to be taken off injured late in their 1-1 draw against Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday with the same injury.
"Not so good news, unfortunately," Sahin told a press conference ahead of Wednesday's clash with Barca. "He will be out for several months. He has suffered a serious injury.
"It is the same injury," Sahin said. "It is completely unfortunate to injure the same spot. It is very bitter because we needed him."
Dortmund, in sixth spot in the Bundesliga, have been plagued by injuries for months and at one stage were without 10 players.
"He (Suele) had played a good game in Gladbach. It is a bit of a bad luck run for him but you cannot change that. We have to let the diagnosis sink in. We will play the game tomorrow and then we will see how we proceed with him," Sahin added.
Barcelona are third in the Champions League standings on 12 points, ahead on goal difference of fourth-placed Dortmund, last year's finalists, with both teams on course for a top-eight finish in the league phase of the new format.
That would earn them an automatic last 16 spot.
"Favourites against Barcelona?" Sahin said. "I don't think there are any favourites tomorrow. It will be two teams on the same level and the form on the day will play a big role."
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
