Borussia Dortmund U23s have already been preparing for the second half of the Western Regional League season for around two weeks. There were usually two sessions a day after completing the traditional lactate and fitness tests. Three warm-up games rounded off this intensive period and on Saturday morning the U23s head to Huelva for a training camp on Spain’s Atlantic coast.

Sören Dieckmann will not make the trip. The Dortmund-born player has moved to SV Sandhausen, currently in 15th spot in 2. Bundesliga. Dieckmann joined the BVB U23 squad in the summer of 2015 after spells at TuS Hordel und Eintracht Dortmund. This season, Dieckmann made 16 appearances, scoring twice and also provided two assists in the Western Regional League. In recent seasons, he played around 100 times for BVB. On-loan striker Evangelos Pavlidis is another player on the move during the winter break. The Greek forward has joined Dutch top-tier side Willem II Tilburg with immediate effect.

21-year-old Taylan Duman has been training with Borussia since Friday. The Moerser-born player has joined from Fortuna Düsseldorf, signing a deal until the summer of 2021. The versatile midfielder came through the youth ranks at MSV Duisburg und Fortuna. A member of the Rhinelanders squad since 2016, he made a single appearance in the 2. Bundesliga. He has played 16 times for Düsseldorf’s second-string this season, scoring six goals with one assist.

The Black & Yellows tried out all sorts of things in those three warm-up games. Firstly, Landesliga side Borussia Dröschede were dispatched 3-1, before an unfortunate 5-3 defeat against South-West Regional League team TSV Steinbach. However, the U23s put in a sparkling performance in the last game before training camp, deservedly winning 4-0 against league rivals RW Essen, courtesy of goals by Gianluca Rizzo, Denzeil Boadu and a brace from Joseph Boyamba. Apart from long-term injury victims Kempes Tekiela, Jonas Hupe, Haymenn Bah-Traore and Abdelmajid Bouali, every player in the squad enjoyed game time in at least two of the three games. Another couple of games are planned for the training camp which runs until 3 February, against English Championship side Brentford and South Korean second-tier side Jeonnam Dragons.

Captain Massimo Ornatelli summed up the intensive preparations during the first few days: “We have enjoyed almost a whole month off, that is extremely long. At the start, obviously the focus lies on our fitness and stamina, we could really feel that as well during the course of our work. Now it’s a case of continuing to work on the basics and getting used to the movements. We have worked really hard and well, but we have to keep going.”

New U23 coach Alen Terzic takes up his post on Thursday with his first training session. At training camp, he will use the time intensively to get to know his new team and start preparations for the Western Regional League’s resumption in mid-February.