Manchester City were dealt a fresh injury blow with the news that Mateo Kovacic faces a fresh spell on the sidelines with an ankle injury.
The Croatia midfielder has yet to start a game for the Blues this season having undergone Achilles surgery in the summer.
He recovered from that to take his place in the matchday squad against Burnley in September but his only club minutes have come from the bench against Everton and Villarreal. He did start for Croatia against Gibraltar during the international break, playing just over an hour.
He was not involved against Swansea City in midweek in a match that had been earmarked for his first start and Pep Guardiola confirmed after the Premier League win over Bournemouth on Sunday that the 31-year-old faces an extended spell out of the side.
“He will be out for a while,” said the City boss (via Manchester Evening News). “He still has a problem with the ankle, a little calcification still there. We’ll wait on him for the last part of the season.”
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Kovacic is the only City injury concern with Rodri making his return to action as a late sub against Bournemouth and Omar Marmoush, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Abdukodir Khusanov returning for the win over Swansea.
The latter was not in the matchday squad against the Cherries but his absence, along with that of Oscar Bobb’s, was for selection reasons rather than any injury concerns.
Both are in line to return to the squad against Dortmund with the Champions League allowing 12 subs while there are nine on the bench in the Premier League.
