Borussia Dortmund lose key defender to season-ending injury ahead of Barcelona clash | OneFootball

Barcelona will play host to Borussia Dortmund later this Wednesday as the two teams square off in the first leg of the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

Heading into the match, the German giants are dealing with some notable absences from the squad – with players like Niklas Sule, Ramy Bensebaini, Marcel Sabitzer, and Pascal Gross (suspension) set to be unavailable.

Nico Schlotterbeck also out

Now, Borussia Dortmund have officially announced that key defender Nico Schlotterbeck will not play again this season due to a serious injury, thus ruling him out of both the quarter-final fixtures against Barcelona.

“Tough news to close out the season: Nico Schlotterbeck has sustained a meniscus tear in his left knee and will be sidelined for the remainder of the campaign,” the statement from the Black and Yellows read.

Dortmund’s sporting director Sebastian Kehl commented on the blow, saying: “Nico’s absence hits us very hard. He is a very important part of our team and has impressed with his consistently good performances this season.

“We hope he will get fit again quickly and will receive maximum support from us on his way back.”

Schlotterbeck is one of Dortmund’s most important players and has featured 37 times this season, even registering six assists in the process.

The 25-year-old had missed the German outfit’s previous La Liga game against Freiburg due to suspension, but has now been confirmed to have ruptured the meniscus in his left knee.

The versatile defender’s absence comes as a big blow for the Bundesliga heavyweights heading into the key phase of the season starting with Wednesday’s UCL clash against Barcelona.