It's time for three matches in the space of seven days for Borussia Dortmund. "Saturday, Tuesday, Friday is the shortest turnaround time you could possibly have," said Thomas Tuchel on the eve of a week in which the Black and Yellows face Hertha, Lotte and Ingolstadt, before announcing there would be one or two changes to the side that starts in the capital.

Sokratis was forced off with a muscle problem with minutes remaining of Wednesday's 4-0 victory over Benfica and may now be sidelined for the trip to the capital. Another player in danger of missing out is Raphael Guerreiro, who had sustained a similar injury in the 6-2 triumph over Leverkusen four days earlier. The Portugal international did make the bench in midweek "but didn't feel quite right in training yesterday," according to Tuchel. Sven Bender is back in training (Tuchel: "That's the good news from yesterday") but, needless to say, will not feature in Berlin.

Hardly any players to get a rest in the international break

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Now the time has come where those players whose opportunities have been limited in recent weeks but who "were close to inclusion could start, in order to bring some freshness to our game and help us maintain our level." The motto "grin and bear it" is not one the coach is eager to adopt for his charges despite the upcoming 14-day international break. "If everyone had time off during the break, we could think about it. But, with the exception of the coaching staff, no-one has a break. They're all flying around the world, training, playing, and not every international coach considers the strain on the players."

Three days after the high-octane clash with Benfica, a match brimming with tension and intensity in equal measure, Thomas Tuchel's men face the tough task of travelling away to the strongest home team in the division. The coach described Hertha as "a team that is patient, compact, defends with great tactical discipline and makes it difficult to score goals against them." He continued with a warning: "We need to remain alert in every phase of the match and cannot afford to make any simple mistakes. We want to control the ball, the match and the counters." And, if possible, extend the successful streak at the Olympiastadion.

Boris Rupert

Here's how they might line up