Borussia Dortmund receives two key defensive returns for Saturday's Bundesliga home match against SC Paderborn 07. Manager Niko Kovač confirmed the full recovery of centre-backs Nico Schlotterbeck and Ramy Bensebaini.
"Nico Schlotterbeck and Ramy Bensebaini have fully recovered from their ankle and rib issues respectively," said Kovač. The manager stated both players are healthy and ready to reclaim their starting spots. They returned to team training this week. Their return is timely as Dortmund sit second in the Bundesliga table with eight goals scored and only two conceded.
Dortmund's Injury Concerns
Alongside the positive news, several players remain unavailable. Konstantinos Karetsas is ruled out after circulatory issues and severe dehydration in the Champions League match against Villarreal. Long-term absentees Emre Can and Giannis Konstantelias continue their recovery from ACL tears. Filippo Mané and Justin Lerma are sidelined with muscle injuries. Samuele Inacio is serving the second match of a two-game suspension.
Opponent Absences
For newly-promoted Paderborn, who are still searching for their first win and first goal of the season, striker Sven Michel is out with a nagging groin and muscle issue. Timur Gayret (ACL tear), Nyamekye Awortwie-Grant (outer knee ligament) and Lasse Eickel (back) are also unavailable. Manager Ralf Kettemann must therefore reshuffle his side.
Borussia Dortmund enter the match on a perfect run of five consecutive victories. The most recent was a 3-0 home win over Paderborn last Saturday, with goals from Fábio Silva and a Felix Nmecha brace. Serhou Guirassy, currently the team's top scorer with two goals this season, provided an assist. The full schedule for the coming weeks, including the away fixture at VfB Stuttgart on September 19th, is available on the fixtures overview.
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