The Bavarians must do without Javi Martinez and Arjen Robben in the short term, while Marco Reus and Sebastian Rode are still unavailable for selection at Borussia Dortmund. Should the large doubts looming over Raphael Guerreiro dissipate, one might consider the firepower of which each team has been deprived as being equal.

While the Bavarians have made it through the first third of the season until now without any serious injuries, more or less, Dortmund have had to improvise, and had hoped, unfortunately in vain, to be able to start again afresh with regard to personnel after the third international break, the last until March. "We are desperate for the return of the missing players, and with them, the concomitant depth in the squad. Quite simply, we need these personalities back", stressed Thomas Tuchel, who wondered, on being questioned about the current six point deficit between themselves and the table leaders, whether a return of 18 points from 10 games (fifth in the table) wasn't the best they could have hoped for taking into account the "deployment of four A-Youth Team players" (Passlack, Pulisic, Larsen, Burnic).

After long layoffs, Marcel Schmelzer and André Schürrle will return to the starting line-up tomorrow evening in a game "that tests us all in the toughest imaginable way", according to Tuchel. "It is a good opportunity for us to surpass ourselves." He continued: "It is football, anything is possible. We are going through a phase during which many things simply are not going our way, and there is much we need to work on." It is though "no bad thing in a game against Bayern Munich that we do not simply take to the field in a purely technical or tactical manner. There is a third plane on which we must fight. We need passion, aggression when defending, a proactive attitude, and we must be brave. That is key in this game, and that will get the viewing public on our side. In this way, we will be able to give as good as we get technically and tactically."

Reus and Rode will return shortly in any case, while Schürrle and Schmelzer will soon regain full fitness. "Currently", said Tuchel, "we are living hand to mouth. Nonetheless, we will endeavour to attack with fervour, to keep ourselves in the game and competitive in the table, and, in the second half of the season at the latest, we will aim to get a run going by achieving consistency."
Boris Rupert

BVB total!-Video: The complete press conference with Thomas Tuchel, free for all

Line-Up: How they might play
Personnel: Reus and Rode absent 
The Facts: Borussia's Home-, and Bayern's Away Form