Nuri Sahin cut a disconsolate figure as he counted the cost of a flu-like illness in the Borussia Dortmund squad, but says they are determined to beat Holstein Kiel. (More Football News)
Do💝rtmund are eighth in the Bundesliga table, having been beaten 3-2 at home by Bayer Leverkusen on Friday, a result which saw Sahin suffer his first home defeat in💜 the competition.
They are now lookin😼g to improve their away form as they aim to win consecutive Bundesliga matches on the road for the first time since March-April 2024 (fou𒅌r).
However, Sahin revealed the exten🔴🍎t of the illness among the squad on Monday, as 12 members of his team and coaching staff had been laid low by the virus leading up to the game.
Emre Can, Ramy Bensebaini, Pascal Gross, Filippo Mane and Alexander Meyer were all left out of the squad for the Leverkusen loss becaus🤪e of the illness.
Karim Adeyemi and Jamie Gittens both featured aga🀅inst Leverkusen, with the latter scoring his 10th goal of the season, but are now doubts for Tuesday's game after also falling ill.
Meanwhile, Donyell Malen will not be part of the travelling squad as Dortmund have allowed him to leave for talks with another🌱 club, they confirmed on social media. The forward is reportedly set to move to Aston Villa.
"Emre, Ramy, Pascal, Filippo and Alex are💛 the sick ones and their hearts are fine now, but to be honest, we don't know yet whether it'll be enough," Sahin told a press confer🧔ence.
"The boys were really ill, and they're❀ on the right track, but we still have to wait and see how they tolerate training.
"Karim's got it too, and he's a big question mark, Jamie is a question mark for the ♒game and with Donny, we have to wait and see."
Sahin had no answers on how the virus h𝄹ad managed to enter the camp but insisted that Dortmund would fight to the last against Kiel.
"Maybe you can tell by my voice it broke us all a bit," he said. "We're very careful in our interaction, but somehow th💟is virus got in, and now we have to endure it."
Dortmund are alreadꦑy playing their wea🌠kest season in the Bundesliga in seven years, having earned just 25 points in the first 16 games (also 25 in 2017-18).
However, the Black and Yellow have won both of their previous meetiꦛngs with Kiel, with both coming in the DFB Po൲kal, winning 9-0 on aggregate.
The illness ensured that Dortmund started the New Year on a losing note, but Sahin insisted that, despite the difficult circ🔯umstances, his team would not be rolled over on Tuesday.
"We still want to achieve our goals," he said.✨ "Of 🍰course, it's a bit harder, but we play in Kiel tomorrow to get the three points.
"No matter what the personnel situaꦓtion is, we will play 11 against 11 tomorrow, and as Borussia Dortmund, we want to win the game."
