Schlotterbeck travels with Dortmund squad for match against Union

Nico Schlotterbeck has travelled with Borussia Dortmund to Berlin, where they face Union Berlin in the Bundesliga on Saturday. The defender missed the Champions League defeat to Bodø/Glimt on Wednesday due to burden management as he has recently struggled with injury. "Schlotti is coming back, so we’ll have a full squad," coach Niko Kovac said in a news conference on Friday. Schlotterbeck torn a ligament in his ankle during this year's World Cup. He returned in time for the first international matches after the tournament, under new coach Jürgen Klopp, but injured his ankle again. However, he returned to action last Friday and scored a goal in the 2-2 Bundesliga draw with Werder Bremen. About the match, he said: "It’s going to be intense, and we’ll have to push ourselves to the limit," calling on his team to rise to the challenge in one-on-one battles. Given the heavy schedule of games and travel, Kovac said that he would be rotating the line-up in the coming weeks. "Every single player will be important, every single player will get his minutes, and every single player will repay the trust we’ve placed in them," he said. For the game in Berlin, he explained he would have a close look at which of his players are fresh enough to "ultimately take on the challenge." Dortmund are second in the Bundesliga standings, tied on 13 points with leaders Freiburg but behind on goal difference.