Key Takeaways:
- Borussia Dortmund have confirmed Nico Schlotterbeck and Niklas Süle will miss tomorrow’s Champions League playoff against Atalanta
- Schlotterbeck was absent during Friday’s 4-0 Bundesliga victory over Mainz 05 due to suspension
- Dortmund previously faced defensive issues in their 0:2 defeat by Inter in the Champions League
Squad Update: Key Defenders Sidelined
Borussia Dortmund have officially revealed they will be without their pivotal defenders Nico Schlotterbeck and Niklas Süle for the upcoming home fixture against Atalanta in the Champions League playoffs. Schlotterbeck is suffering with muscle problems while Süle has a thigh injury, as both players missed the team’s final training session and have been ruled out for tomorrow’s match.
The German club announced: “Nico Schlotterbeck (muscle problems) and Niklas Süle (thigh injury) missed the final training and will not be available for tomorrow’s match.”
ℹ️ Personal-Update vor dem Champions-League-Heimspiel gegen Atalanta: Nico Schlotterbeck (muskuläre Probleme) und Niklas Süle (Oberschenkelverletzung) fehlen beim Abschlusstraining und stehen für die morgige Partie nicht zur Verfügung. pic.twitter.com/8GUJrFNxTd
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) February 16, 2026
Absences and Line-Up Challenges
Nico Schlotterbeck was already unavailable last Friday when Dortmund clinched a dominant 4-0 Bundesliga win over Mainz 05, missing out due to a suspension caused by accumulated yellow cards. In that match, head coach Niko Kovac deployed a defensive trio of Waldemar Anton, Niklas Süle, and Ramy Bensebaini. The former Bayern defender Süle was substituted at half-time, and it is now confirmed that his injury is severe enough to keep him out of the Atalanta encounter.
| Defender | Reason for Absence | Next Match Impacted |
|---|---|---|
| Nico Schlotterbeck | Muscle problems | Atalanta (Champions League playoff 1st leg, home) |
| Niklas Süle | Thigh injury | Atalanta (Champions League playoff 1st leg, home) |
Context: Borussia Dortmund’s Recent European Struggles
Borussia Dortmund have been contending with defensive setbacks in Europe, highlighted further in their previous Champions League fixture against Inter, where they were defeated 0:2. That result prevented Dortmund from advancing to the top eight of the competition, setting up the necessity to compete in a playoff against another Italian side, Atalanta.
