Emre Can and Giovanni Reyna Fit to Feature Against Wolfsburg But Axel Witsel Remains Out
By Josh Sim
Borussia Dortmund head coach Lucien Favre has revealed that the duo of Emre Can and Giovanni Reyna have recovered from their respective injuries, and are available to play on Saturday against VfB Wolfsburg.
Die Schwarzgelben were impressive in their 4-0 rout of rivals Schalke in their first game back after the Bundesliga's suspension, and travel to take on sixth-placed Wolfsburg, who picked up a 2-1 win at Augsburg last weekend.
It appears appears that there will be more options in the squad to choose from for Saturday's fixture, with Favre stating that both Can and Reyna had overcome their injury problems and would be 'involved' in the match.
? Favre pregame presser:
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) May 22, 2020
“Axel Witsel won't be ready, but Emre Can and Gio Reyna fully trained again today. Marco Reus still hasn't trained with the team yet. We still hope that he will be back soon.” pic.twitter.com/47FfGvxyFv
"Emre Can and Gio Reyna trained fully today. They'll be involved," said the 62-year-old in a virtual news conference (via the club's official website).
However, when asked about Axel Witsel, the Swiss head coach swiftly ruled out the Belgian making an appearance, saying (via Reuters): "Witsel will definitely not be there."
The Belgian remains on the sidelines, alongside Nico Schulz, Dan-Axel Zagadou and Marco Reus. When asked about his captain, Favre said: "He's not yet been able to train with the team. Nonetheless, we're hoping he returns as quickly as possible and that he can help us out before the end of the season."
Favre also praised the performance of Julian Brandt in the recent Revierderby win. "He can play multiple positions in multiple systems. That in itself is a great quality. He's performing very, very well," the 62-year-old said. "I really like that [his versatility]. It offers us coaches solutions. He's extremely dangerous going forward."
? Favre pregame presser:
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) May 22, 2020
“Wolfsburg has changed a few things tactically. They have a more concrete first team and are very stable.” pic.twitter.com/grfu7k4h76
Turning his attention towards their opponents, who are currently in good form, Favre said: "They've gradually established their team and are very stable."
Sporting director Michael Zorc added: "Wolfsburg will be significantly more difficult than the home game against Schalke was. Wolfsburg are in a very good condition and are competing for the European berths."