Nico Schlotterbeck to Miss Key Matches for Borussia Dortmund

omidbasir- Borussia Dortmund’s defender, Nico Schlotterbeck, will be unavailable for the team’s upcoming Bundesliga and Champions League fixtures. The German national team member, who has been serving as the captain of BVB, is set to miss two critical matches: the Bundesliga clash against RB Leipzig on Saturday and the Champions League return leg at Atalanta Bergamo next Wednesday.

Schlotterbeck continues to contend with a muscle injury.

Despite his absence, Dortmund has impressively not conceded a goal in the last two matches he missed. The 26-year-old was sidelined due to an accumulation of yellow card suspensions, which kept him out of last Friday’s Bundesliga victory over Mainz. Dortmund’s defense, bolstered by a standout performance from Italian centre-back Luca Reggiani, also managed to secure a shutout against Atalanta at home on Tuesday.

It is significant to note that both of Dortmund’s recent victories occurred on home turf. As they head to the Red Bull Arena for this weekend’s Bundesliga “Top Spiel” against RB Leipzig, the team will face a daunting challenge, especially with a 2-0 aggregate lead ahead of the away game at the Stadio de Bergamo next Wednesday.

With Bayern Munich currently six points ahead of Dortmund in the Bundesliga standings after 22 matchdays, there are growing concerns that the title race could intensify. A single slip-up by Dortmund could make it nearly impossible for them to close a nine-point gap.

Schlotterbeck has expressed considerable enthusiasm for the upcoming Bundesliga match against Bayern at the end of the month. Bayern will need to visit the Westfalen Stadion, where they will confront their title challengers amidst the iconic “yellow wall” and an audience of 81,365 fans. It is likely that Dortmund will opt to rest their defensive captain to ensure he is fit for this pivotal encounter.