Borussia Dortmund vs Newcastle: ‘Hope bursts’ as player ruled out of CL match at last minute

Borussia Dortmund are set to be without key midfielder Emre Can for tonight’s clash against Newcastle United.

That’s according to Kicker, relaying information from Ruhr Nachrichten, who say ‘hope bursts’ on Tuesday as the midfielder has ultimately been ruled out of the game vs the Magpies.

They explain that hopes the Dortmund captain could return for the crucial Champions League meeting with Newcastle were ‘dashed’ today after he missed the club’s final training session on Monday evening.

According to them, Can’s performance in the first clash between the two sides, when he excelled in the first half but was then substituted at half time with knee problems, has ended up costing him for this clash.

Dortmund had hoped he would be available but after missing training yesterday he’s now been left out of the squad for the game.

That’s a major blow for Edin Terzic and his team, with Can having established himself as a key player under the manager and proven to be a difficult man to replace thanks to what he offers.

Dortmund will be slightly boosted by the returns of Marius Wolf and Ramy Bensebaini in more positive news, but they will be without ‘emotional leader’ Can, a potential positive for Newcastle to use to their advantage.