Dortmund, April 13: It would be an “unbelievable story” to beat Manchester City and reach the Champions League semifinals despite injuries and other setbacks, Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic said Tuesday.
Dortmund forward Marco Reus and defender Mats Hummels remain injury doubts ahead of the second leg of the quarterfinals at home against City on Wednesday. Both were substituted early after taking knocks in Saturday’s 3-2 win over Stuttgart.
The two players are valuable not only for their contributions on the field — Reus scored Dortmund’s goal against City in the 2-1 loss in the first leg last week — but also as experienced team leaders in a squad which otherwise leans heavily on up-and-coming players.
“They have both amassed so much experience in the Champions League, above all with Dortmund, and it would obviously be a huge help if they’re on the field with us again tomorrow,” Dortmund defender Manuel Akanji said.
Terzic said Jadon Sancho will not play against City. The England forward has not played since March 2 because of a muscle injury. Center back Dan-Axel Zagadou is also out for the rest of the season after a recent knee operation.
Dortmund would miss out on Champions League qualification for next season unless it can win this season’s competition. Those hardships would make a win over City even more satisfying, Terzic said. “What that would mean for me personally, obviously it would be an unbelievable story when you see how the whole season has gone,” Terzic said. (AP)
