Friday, 12th September, 2014
Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp has admitted that the club can't afford to wait long for returnee Shinji Kagawa to make his first appearance, after receiving news that attacking midfielder Marco Reus will be out injured for the next four weeks.
The Ruhr giants were already missing Nuri Sahin and Jakub Blaszczykowski before Reus was struck down by an ankle injury in Germany's Euro 2016 qualifier against Scotland last Sunday, with Mats Hummels and Ciro Immobile also major doubts for Saturday's game against Freiburg.
Kagawa, who returned to Dortmund at the end of August after an unsuccessful two-year stint at Manchester United, has now added to the Black and Yellows' worries however, with the 25-year-old unable to complete training due to a groin niggle on Thursday.
Klopp however remains optimistic, whilst stressing the attacking midfielder's importance in the Dortmund eleven – despite him not having made an appearance for his new club yet.
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"I have a good feeling that the atmosphere on Saturday and the joy of our supporters can spur him on", he said on Thursday to reporters, before admitting: "We can't wait another couple of weeks. Shinji is already very important for us."
Klopp's men have a busy schedule ahead. After playing Freiburg on Saturday, Dortmund will host Arsenal in their first Champions League clash in midweek before traveling to Mainz for more Bundesliga action.
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