Storm Friederike and striker Pierre-Emerick were two of the talking points at today's press conference ahead of Borussia Dortmund's Bundesliga meeting with Hertha in Berlin this Friday evening.

Friederike has made an impact. The storm has toppled trees on the Strobelallee, the road leading to Signal Iduna Park, where Peter Stöger arrived punctually at 12:30 CET to take questions from journalists. "The plan is to train at 15:00 CET and head to Berlin at some point after that," the Austrian said. Among the passengers on the plane will be Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who will be hoping to make an impact of his own – in the form of goals – at the Olympiastadion tomorrow.

Aubameyang has "trained well"

"We had a good discussion on Monday. He has trained well and – provided nothing changes, which I am assuming will be the case – he is a contender for tomorrow," explained Stöger. "He decides whether he comes into contention and plays for this team. He'll be factored in if he shows me he's giving it everything. The coaching staff and I are not vindictive. If he learns from his mistakes, he will be very welcome, because he has qualities that will help us."

Pulisic's involvement "not certain, but a possibility"

Christian Pulisic is another who could return for the trip to Hertha BSC. "He has participated in the last two training sessions," said Stöger. "Let's see how he does today." The American youngster's involvement is "not certain, but a possibility".

"Performance levels are what counts the most"

If Aubameyang and Pulisic were to feature, two attacking players would have to make way. Youngsters Alexander Isak (18) and Jadon Sancho (17) delivered convincing displays against Wolfsburg last time out, as Stöger reiterated today. But he added: "Performance levels are what counts the most. The lads need to prove and assert themselves."

Sokratis and Toprak expected to start

Another youngster who has joined the squad is 22-year-old defender Manuel Akanji. "He's settled in well," said Stöger. "You can see his quality and that he has a good range of passing." The Swiss international could be included in the squad in Berlin but is unlikely to be a starter yet. Of Sokratis and Ömer Toprak, Stöger said: "The two centre-backs have done their job really well and have never disappointed. So there's a good chance they'll keep their starting spots."

Targeting the three points

The coach is expecting a "tough match" in the capital, because "Hertha always seem to perform especially well at home and when they're facing teams that play high up the pitch." He believes the opposition have a good "blend of youth and cunning". However, the aim remains to "pick up the three points and to catch up on some of the things that we didn't do at home last time out. But it's certainly not going to be easy. Our chance conversion needs to improve."
Boris Rupert