dpa
Madrid
Borussia Dortmund’s Niklas Sule and Pascal Gross took part in final training for Tuesday’s Champions League date at Real Madrid but it was not clear whether they will be fit to start in the rematch of last season’s final.
Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel meanwhile trained individually on Monday but has not been ruled out of the game.
Süle has been plagued by a stomach bug while Gross was substituted at half-time of Friday’s 2-1 Bundesliga win against St Pauli with an undisclosed problem. Kobel also has an upset stomach.
However, coach Nuri ?ahin will definitely be without attackers Karim Adeyemi, Julien Duranville and Giovanni Reyna as well as right back Yan Couto.
Dortmund won their first two Champions League matches this term 3-0 at Club Brugge and 7-1 against Celtic but they have been inconsistent in Germany.
“We want to be brave and have every reason to be. After all, we got off to a good start in the competition,” said ?ahin.
Record winners Real beat Dortmund 2-0 in the last Champions League final in June, and want to make up for a 1-0 defeat at Lille in their last outing in the elite event.
?ahin did not want to talk about revenge for the Wembley final defeat, when he was assistant to now departed Edin Terzic.
“If it was about a trophy, you could maybe talk about a rematch. But it’s a group game, not a final,” ex-Real player ?ahin added.
Sporting director Sebastian Kehl acknowledged that Real will be a big test for his side.
“Real are the biggest club in the world. We’ve already fought big battles there. I believe that the team will approach the task with total commitment,” Kehl said. Record winners Real beat Dortmund 2-0 in the last Champions League final in June, and want to make up for a 1-0 defeat at Lille in their last outing in the elite event.
“I definitely don’t think we’re without a chance. We showed that in the final a few weeks ago,” Kehl said.
Dortmund had also been better in Europe last season as they reached the final while only coming fifth in the Bundesliga.
