Berlin: Bayern Munich have been dealt a blow ahead of Sunday’s visit to Bundesliga basement dwellers Darmstadt, kick-off 6.30pn UAE time, with the news German international defender Jerome Boateng will be sidelined for a number of weeks after needing a shoulder operation.
Asked if surgery was necessary, the 28-year-old Boateng told Kicker magazine: “Unfortunately, yes.”
Boateng, who suffered the injury in a training ground fall, missed the start of the season after tearing a thigh muscle on international duty with Germany at Euro 2016. He also has been criticised by club chiefs and supporters for some of his performances when he has played this campaign.
Meanwhile. Thomas Tuchel lauded Borussia Dortmund after his side twice came back from a goal down to draw 2-2 at Hoffenheim on Friday despite playing for more than one half with 10 men following the dismissal of Marco Reus.
The Bundesliga’s leading scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang rescued a point for Dortmund with a 48th-minute equaliser, his 16th goal of the campaign.
Hoffenheim are still undefeated this season.
Dortmund have won just three of their last 10 league matches.
After the match Tuchel told his club’s website bvb.de/eng: “The reaction that we subsequently showed to all those things that were going against us was, I think, extraordinary. We had more shots than Hoffenheim. In the half-time interval we resolved that we wouldn’t leave here tonight without any points.
“We wanted to fight with everything we had to stop that from happening. I think you could really sense that. For that I think the team deserves a huge compliment. I feel that given the unlucky way in which the match developed for us, we deserved to take a point home.”
According to Dortmund’s website, Nagelsmann admitted that he “wouldn’t have given the second yellow card for Reus”.
“It was a very hard game for us,” said Dortmund defender Marcel Schmelzer. “After falling a goal behind we had to become more aggressive.
“Having played a game like we did with 10 men I think this result is more than deserved.” It took only three minutes for Hoffenheim to grab the lead through Mark Uth, back from injury for the first time since September.
Uth rounded keeper Roman Weidenfeller, who was caught completely out of position, to score.
Dortmund almost levelled through full back Schmelzer and Aubameyang but the pressure paid off in the 11th minute when Mario Goetze equalised after Ousmane Dembele had beaten four Hoffenheim players.
The home team kept up a frantic pace and their top scorer Sandro Wagner headed in from close range after giving defender Sven Bender a shove in the back.
Weidenfeller, filling in for the injured Roman Buerki, let the ball slip through his hands.
“I did not realise at the time ... but seeing it at halftime I have to admit it was a foul,” Wagner said.
Things took a turn for the worse for Dortmund when Reus was sent off for a second booking four minutes before the break and Wagner hit the post right after the restart.
Aubameyang then netted against the run of play for Dortmund after yet another fine Dembele solo run.
