Dortmund wait on Can, Meunier out for Lazio home clash

Berlin (AFP) – Borussia Dortmund are without right-back Thomas Meunier for Wednesday’s crunch Champions League tie at home to Lazio while a question mark hangs over the fitness of midfielder Emre Can.

Dortmund top their group, a point ahead of second-placed Lazio, and victory at Signal Iduna Park would guarantee either club a place in the last 16.

A draw would also put both clubs through, provided Brugge fail to beat Zenit St Petersburg in the other Group F tie.

Since joining from Paris Saint-Germain in July, Meunier, 29, had started all of Dortmund’s matches this season, but the Belgium international misses out this time with a calf injury.

Dortmund coach Lucien Favre said Tuesday that Portugal winger Raphael Guerreiro should be fit after shaking off a leg knock.

However, defensive midfielder Can suffered an ankle injury in Saturday’s 2-1 shock defeat to Cologne, “so we will have to see,” Favre added.

The Germans crashed 3-1 in Rome when the clubs met in October as Lazio striker Ciro Immobile scored and set up another goal for midfielder Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro against his former club.

“We have corrected a few things really well since then, that game is behind us,” said Favre. 

“We are group leaders and we want to keep it that way,” he added.