Marcel Schmelzer was on board the Borussia Dortmund team airbus as flight number EW 1909 departed for Nice on Monday morning. The veteran full-back has been included in a matchday squad − BVB will face AS Monaco in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday  − for the first time since suffering an injury at the end of September.

"We're unfortunately without several players who have either picked up knocks or, in some cases, have been carrying minor injuries during the course of recent games," explained Sebastian Kehl prior to departure. Among the absentees are Marco Reus (thigh problems), Thomas Delaney (calf), Lukasz Piszczek (knee), Jakob Bruun Larsen (also knee), who was forced off by injury against Schalke, and Jadon Sancho.

Sancho has returned to England to be with his mother following the death of his grandmother. Axel Witsel, meanwhile, is to be rested: "Nonetheless, we're very much looking forward to the match and want to seize the opportunity to finish top should it arise," added Kehl. (br)