BVB set off for Andalusia on Wednesday morning for seven days. The first training session of 2018 was scheduled to take place under brilliant sunshine in Marbella in the afternoon. Alongside Marco Reus and Mario Götze, Lukasz Piszczek and Gonzalo Castro were also back in training. Marcel Schmelzer had to end his training prematurely due to a problem with his calves...

Jan-Philip Kirschke reports from Marbella

Things start up again: after the short winter break, the BVB squad and support staff departed Wednesday morning to spend seven days under the Spanish sun. Preparations for the second half of the season got underway in Marbella, as they had done last year, and intensive training sessions await Sokratis and colleagues. "We've got a lot of work to do, and there is plenty we need to do better in the second half of the season", said the central defender just before the first session began.

First session of the year

Manager Peter Stöger had bid his players come to the first training session in the afternoon at the Estadio Municipal of third division outfit FC Merbella. The senior BVB players toiled for just under 90 minutes, and counted a number of long absent faces among their number: Marco Reus, Mario Götze, Gonzalo Castro and Lukas Piszczek were included as part of the warm-up and participated in a game that made use of three goals, though tackling was off the agenda for them. "They are all good footballers, so you can do something with them that will be fun. That makes it really exciting for me", said Stöger after the session had ended.

Next step for Marco Reus

Seeing Marco Reus train with the team again was particularly pleasing for fans of Dortmund. He is still a long way away from making his comeback after tearing his ACL in the cup triumph at the end of May and the ensuing months spent in rehabilitation, but he has made a large step forward. "What I saw today made me really happy", said Stöger. "Marco still needs his time, but when you look at him, you'd be forgiven for thinking that he is already fully recovered because he is a great player." Marcel Schmelzer, though, gave cause for consternation: the BVB captain had to end his training prematurely due to a problem with his calves.

Aubameyang back on Friday

Stöger had to do without Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the first training session of the new year. The Gabonese will be present for the presentation of the "African Footballer of the Year" award at a gala in Ghana on Thursday. He will only return to the team on Friday, which is no problem for Stöger: "It was already arranged with the club. When "Europe's Player of the Year" is awarded, the best players are always there at the ceremony."

Zöchling supports Stöger

An old acquaintance of Stöger's was in Marbella to support the training staff. He has already worked frequently with his countryman Werner Zöchling in years gone by, and at BVB, Zöchling should now help "to address the issue of team spirit and to formulate targets that we want to reach together this season", clarified head coach Stöger.