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Borussia Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin is quickly running out of time ahead of their home game against second-placed RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, with the Ruhr valley club struggling for form as injuries pile up.
It is not the start that former Dortmund player Sahin had envisaged when he took over this season, with his team in seventh place and seven points off the top after eight Bundesliga matches.
Dortmund have not won any of their away matches in the league this season, and they have lost their last five games on the road in all competitions following Tuesday’s defeat by VfL Wolfsburg in the German Cup second round.
They have been solid at home in the league, winning all four games, so any slip-up at the Signal Iduna Park on Saturday would certainly pile more pressure on Sahin.
“This is not about my personal situation,” Sahin said following his team’s cup exit. “It is about developing the club and getting back onto the winning track as quickly as possible.
“So, it is not about me. It is about the club and I, as a coach, have the responsibility. Believe me, for me it is extremely bitter and disappointing to be in this situation we are currently in. We cannot do anything else other than keep working.”
That has proved challenging this week, however, with Wednesday’s open training scrapped and turned into individual fitness sessions due to a lack of available players.
Dortmund are without wingers Karim Adeyemi and Julien Duranville, attacking midfielder Gio Reyna, as well as defenders Niklas Sule, Julian Ryerson and Yan Couto among others.
Midfielder Marcel Sabitzer is also nursing an injury but is likely to play, while fellow defender Waldemar Anton, recovering from his own injury, could be an option by Saturday.
The mood could not be any different at Leipzig, who are undefeated in the league and winners of their last four league games to join leaders Bayern Munich on 20 points.
They also had little trouble disposing of St Pauli 4-2 in the Cup on Tuesday.
Bayern, who have scored 29 goals in their eight league games, host Union Berlin on Saturday, while champions Bayer Leverkusen entertain VfB Stuttgart a day earlier.