Overview

• The Borussia Dortmund captain has not played this season and remains out of full team training, continuing only individual work.
• Officials and the player deny a BILD claim of a pubic bone issue, maintaining the original adductor diagnosis from last season.
• With his deal in its final year, club leaders are reported to want standout performances for any extension, a tall order as he rehabs on reported €10 million wages.
• Coach Niko Kovac has ample cover in his absence, with Felix Nmecha, Marcel Sabitzer, Pascal Groß and Jobe Bellingham in midfield, and Waldemar Anton, the returning Nico Schlotterbeck and loanee Aaron Anselmino in central defense.
• Coverage recalls he played through pain and painkillers late last season to help secure Champions League qualification, a factor cited as a possible contributor to his prolonged recovery.