Borussia Dortmund have been dealt a significant early-season setback after defender Niklas Suele was ruled out for around two months with a calf muscle injury.
The 29-year-old centre-back sustained the problem during Sunday’s pre-season friendly against Juventus, a match Dortmund lost 2-1. Suele, who replaced veteran Mats Hummels after just 18 minutes, was forced off at half-time having suffered the injury without contact from an opponent.
The Bundesliga side confirmed on Monday that the Germany international will miss both the opening round of the German Cup, away to third-tier Rot-Weiss Essen this week, and the start of the Bundesliga campaign. Dortmund begin their league season on 23 August against newly-promoted St Pauli.
His absence will also extend into the early stages of the Champions League phase, with the Ruhr valley club looking to improve on last season’s fourth-place finish in the Bundesliga.
Suele, who joined Dortmund from Bayern Munich in 2022, has been a key part of the club’s defensive setup. His injury leaves coach Edin Terzić facing an early-season reshuffle at the back, with Hummels, Nico Schlotterbeck and young talent Soumaila Coulibaly likely to compete for starting spots in his absence.
Dortmund’s hopes of a strong start to the campaign will now rest on how quickly they can adapt without one of their most experienced defenders.
