Apart from the injured Sven Bender, Sebastian Kehl and Erik Durm, Borussia Dortmund will also have to do without Jakub Blaszczykowski for the first competitive match of 2015 at Bayer Leverkusen, while Ilkay Gündogan is a doubt for Saturday’s Bundesliga clash.

Gündogan: A doubt against Leverkusen, certain to return against Augsburg

“We don’t want to create any pressure,“ said Jürgen Klopp on Saturday, two days before the Leverkusen match, about his midfield enforcer Ilkay Gündogan who was taken off for precautionary reasons (thigh) against Düsseldorf last Saturday, and still hasn’t returned to full training yet. “He will only be considered if he returns to training by tomorrow,” said Klopp on Gündogan’s chances to play against Bayer. But the BVB coach also said: “He’s a doubt against Leverkusen, but certain to return against Augsburg.”

Aubameyang eager to return to training

Jakub Blaszczykowski will miss the match at BayArena with a virus, while Shinji Kagawa and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang might be an option again after returning from international duty.  Aubameyang returned “yesterday after a night flight via Paris,” said Klopp, hinting that the Gabon international could be lacking some sleep. “But he was still eager to practice again today.” In regard to Saturday’s match, the BVB coach added: “We’ll take a look and see if it makes any sense.”

Kagawa, who has returned a day earlier and already completed two training sessions with the team, is, on the other hand, likely to be a part of the 18-man squad.