Borussia Dortmund head coach Nuri Sahin Borussia Dortmund head coach Nuri Sahin 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)
Dortmund 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 looking to improve their away form as they aim to win consecutive Bundesliga matches on the road for the first time since March-April 2024 (four).
Bundesliga: Nuri Sahin Demands Consistency From Dortmund As They Eye Return To Top FourHowever, Sahin revealed the extent 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.
"This series is not just about the two teams playing; it's about reviving the spirit of hockey in Delhi. We hope this will inspire more young players from the region to take up the game," Harmanpreet stated in a press release issued by Hockey India.
Emre Can, Ramy Bensebaini, Pascal Gross, Filippo Mane and Alexander Meyer were all left out of the squad for the Leverkusen loss because of the illness.
Karim Adeyemi and Jamie Gittens both featured against 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 conference.
Kiel voraus! #KSVBVB pic.twitter.com/lmE8B6vApf
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) January 13, 2025"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 had 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 this virus got in, and now we have to endure it."
Dortmund are already playing their weakest 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 meetings with Kiel, with both coming in the DFB Pokal, 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 circumstances, 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 situation is, we will play 11 against 11 tomorrowps88, and as Borussia Dortmund, we want to win the game."