Borussia Dortmund captain Marco Reus has been officially ruled out of Wednesday’s clash with Tottenham in the Champions League.
The German, who has been one of Dortmund’s best players in recent years despite struggling with injuries, will miss the Round of 16 first leg at Wembley with a thigh problem.
Dortmund threw away a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Hoffenheim over the weekend. The Bundesliga leaders have drawn their last two matches 3-3.
Meanwhile, Spurs beat Leicester City 3-1 at Wembley with Son Heung-min, so often the bane of Dortmund in the past, getting among the goals with a stoppage time strike.
The hosts will be without their talisman Harry Kane, but Mauricio Pochettino’s side have proved they can win without the striker thanks to Son’s goals.
Dortmund have England starlet Jadon Sancho ready in reserve, but club official Sebastian Kehl admitted losing Reus is a blow.
“We would of course have liked to have him in London, because his presence is a bit intimidating for the opponent. But we’ll compensate for his absence,” Kehl said (via Sky Sports).
Reus’ absence is a huge boost for Tottenham, but the Londoners still face a difficult task – beating Dortmund over two legs won’t be easy, especially without Kane for the first leg.
