How will Borussia Dortmund deal with their defensive injury crisis?
Injuries to Borussia Dortmund’s three senior centre-backs has left Nuri Şahin with some difficult decisions to make ahead of the last two league matches of 2024. We take a look at how the coach might rejig his back line.
They say all good things come in threes, but this has far from been the case for Dortmund, whose last three games have been accompanied by three injuries to their centre-back options. First, Waldemar Anton had to come off 17 minutes into Der Klassiker after picking up a groin injury. Next, Niklas Süle was forced off in Dortmund’s 1-1 draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach with an ankle problem. Finally, Nico Schlotterbeck sustained an ankle injury late on as Die Schwarzgelben narrowly lost to Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League in midweek, with all three not set to return until the new year.
Injuries are always unfortunate moments for both player and club, and when three occur to players in the same position in three consecutive matches, any team’s structure is bound to come apart as a result. However, it’s not quite the winter break yet, as Dortmund still have two matches to go in this calendar year, starting with the visit of Hoffenheim on Sunday. Will head coach Şahin go for makeshift centre-back replacements, or perhaps call up a young talent to fill the gap in the heart of the Dortmund defence? We take a look at the potential suitors…
1) Emre Can do it everywhere
Captain Emre Can is highly likely to start in central defence this weekend, having already filled in on multiple occasions this season and in previous campaigns. He started at centre-back for Dortmund’s league fixtures against RB Leipzig, Mainz (although he did receive a red card in this fixture) and Gladbach, and has also been deployed as defensive cover in the Champions League for the visits of Sturm Graz and most recently Barcelona.
Slotting in at centre-back is nothing new for the 30-year-old, who has often been the go-to man for Die Schwarzgelben when a contingency plan is required in their defence. In fact, Can also provided this cover the last time Hoffenheim visited Signal Iduna Park in February 2024, and he also took on this role for the Champions League round of 16 second leg against PSV Eindhoven, where Dortmund picked up a crucial 2-0 victory en route to reaching the 2024 final at Wembley.
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The Dortmund skipper's experience in emergency centre-half cover strongly suggests that he will continue to fill in for at least the next two games whilst his injured teammates are on the road to recovery.
2) Bensebaini inside?
Dortmund’s next most probable option as a makeshift centre-half comes in the form of left-back Ramy Bensebaini, who joined the club in summer 2023. At 6'2'', Bensebaini certainly possesses the physical qualities needed to be a commanding presence in the centre of defence.
In addition, Dortmund’s number five has picked up centre-back experience on the left of a back three whilst on international duty with Algeria. He has started in that position in all six of The Fennecs’ Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in 2024. With Bensebaini in defence, Algeria have won five games and drawn once, keeping four clean sheets and conceding just two goals in the process.
Naturally, there are slight tactical differences to playing as a centre-back in a back three compared to a back four. Centre-backs in a back four can't take as many risks due to a lack of cover if things go wrong, and if an opposition striker drops in, then they often have to be picked up by a midfielder so as to not leave a big gap in behind. Bensebaini will have to be wary of these particularities when lining up with just one centre-back partner as opposed to two, but his previous experience may well see him named at the heart of Dortmund's back line for the next two games.
3) Groß the alternative?
Summer signing Pascal Groß is another player who could do the job for Şahin in Dortmund’s time of need. This is partly due to his playing style. With their dominant home form, Dortmund will be expected to see a lot of the ball on Sunday, meaning the Germany international will be able to use his passing prowess to build up the play from the very back. This will help Die Schwarzgelben to compensate for the loss of Schlotterbeck, who is particularly adept at picking out teammates in front of him with clever balls both to feet and in behind.
In terms of defensive responsibility, Groß frequently filled in at right-back for his former club Brighton last season, and, on the whole, is a disciplined player out of possession. Just like Can, Dortmund’s No. 13 will be able to comfortably drop from holding midfield to centre-back.
4) Look to the future
Should Şahin want an out-and-out centre-back to fill in for his defensive casualties, there are several options available to him from the Dortmund youth ranks. Unfortunately, the injury crisis has reached beyond the first team. Filippo Mané, a 19-year-old centre-back, has been named on the bench by Şahin eight times this season, and despite not making it onto the pitch, the teenager has gained important experience being in and around the matchday squad and would have been a useful option were he not sidelined with a calf injury.
Mané is a regular centre-back with Dortmund's reserves along with 21-year-old Yannik Lührs, who was brought on in the second half of the 3-1 loss in Mainz and was more recently an unused sub against Gladbach, which firstly proves that the young defender is ready for the first team but also that he has the trust of head coach Şahin.
Amongst those on the bench against Barcelona on Wednesday was 17-year-old Elias Benkara. Standing at 6'4'' tall, the central defender scored for Dortmund in a pre-season friendly against Erzgebirge Aue and has made six UEFA Youth League appearances for Borussia's U19 so far in 2024/25. Lining up next to Benkara in the Youth League has been German-American defender Tyler Meiser, who will also fancy his chances of being called up to the first-team squad amidst Dortmund’s injury crisis. The pair have contributed to Dortmund's balanced record in the competition of two wins, two draws and two defeats, achieving clean sheets against both Celtic and Dinamo Zagreb.
With the likes of Andrej Kramarić, Tom Bischof and Adam Hložek to keep out on Sunday, Dortmund will need a resolute and stable foundation upon which to build their performance. And regardless of who is named in the starting XI, the centre-back pairing will play a crucial role in ensuring they control the possession as well as the tempo of the game. Şahin will evaluate his options and then select who he thinks are the best two for the job - and the chosen duo will need to get to grips with the task-in-hand quickly with two important games against Hoffenheim and in-form Wolfsburg on the horizon for last season’s Champions League finalists.
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