Borussia Dortmund-Barcelona fitness update: 4 changes for Hansi Flick to decide on, late doubt for Niko Kovac | OneFootball

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has the luxury lead going into the second leg of their Champions League second leg in the quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund. That takes some of the pressure off his selections for the second leg, as he tries to balance performance with fitness levels. He will have a series of decisions to make before his side take to the pitch in Dortmund.

As will Dortmund manager Niko Kovac. The Croatian manager reportedly called out Karim Adeyemi and Jamie Gittens for their performances in the first leg, and dropped both for their trip to the Allianz Arena and a 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich. Whether he recalls them or not is down to performance, but more of a concern will be the fitness of Emre Can, as Sport point out is a late doubt, after training alone on Monday.

“Today we gave Emre a rest in training. He’s been struggling with muscle problems in his adductor for weeks and keeps grinding his teeth. It’s worth praising. He might not play tomorrow; we’ll have to wait and see,” he told the media before the game. On the plus side for the Germans, Marcel Sabitzer is back from suspension.

For Flick, there are a number of considerations. MD point out that Raphinha and Ronald Araujo did not train as normal on Sunday due to muscle discomfort, but Dani Olmo is back in the Barcelona squad after a hamstring injury. He is unlikely to start, but could be an option off the bench. More likely to start in the position behind the striker is Gavi, who after coming off the bench against Leganes in their 1-0 win on Saturday has a good chance of starting.

Another potential change Sport highlight is Inigo Martinez, who could make way for Araujo or Eric Garcia from the first leg. Flick said that his side would not be relaxing for the second leg at the Signal Iduna Park, and thus resting Martinez could well be a risk, but he will also miss the semi-final first leg if he receives a booking. His disciplinary record will be wiped if he avoids punishment in Germany.

Image via Guillermo Martinez / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP

One enforced change will be the absence of Alejandro Balde after his injury at Butarque. As happened in Madrid, Gerard Martin is set to replace Balde. Finally, a fourth potential change that Flick may consider, as highlighted by the Catalan daily, is using Ferran Torres instead of Robert Lewandowski.

It would be a method of resting the Polish striker, although he will be keen to continue adding to his Champions League tally, as he competes for the top scorer title in the competition, alongside Raphinha, and to return to his former home. Judging by past form, Flick will likely make a couple of changes, without rotating en masse.