Soccer-Dortmund missing several players ahead of German Cup first round

BERLIN (Reuters) – Borussia Dortmund will be without several players when they kick off their domestic season with Saturday’s German Cup first round against amateurs TSV Schott Mainz, coach Edin Terzic said on Thursday.

Terzic stated that Gio Reyna, Thomas Meunier, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, and Julien Duranville will not be available for the match. Additionally, Karim Adeyemi and the newly signed Felix Nmecha, who twisted his ankle during training, are doubtful to play.

Despite the absences, Terzic expressed confidence in his team’s readiness for the season opener. He mentioned that goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, who has recovered from an injury, and defender Nico Schlotterbeck will be back in the squad.

“We are on a really good path and we want to take the next step on Saturday,” Terzic said during a press conference. However, he acknowledged that there is still work to be done for his players.

“I don’t think the first match of the season will mark the end of our preparation,” Terzic added. “The Cup starts and the Bundesliga starts next week, but we will use the entire month of August to prepare for the season.”

Last season, Dortmund narrowly missed out on the Bundesliga title after failing to beat Mainz 05 in their final home game. They will begin their league campaign next week against Cologne.

“We will use August not only to earn points and advance in the Cup, but also to establish a strong foundation,” Terzic explained. “Our objective is to compete for titles, and the German Cup provides the shortest route to a title. Therefore, we need to be fully prepared from the start.”

Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Tomasz Janowski