Dortmund midfielder Dahoud out for rest of season with knee injury

Berlin (AFP) – Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, the Bundesliga club announced on Friday.

The 24-year-old was replaced by Axel Witsel in the 85th minute of Dortmund’s 1-0 defeat by title rivals and league leaders Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

Dahoud has made 14 appearances for Lucien Favre’s men in all competitions this season.

The Syrian-born player joins Erling Braut Haaland, captain Marco Reus, Nico Schulz and Dan-Axel Zagadou on the sidelines ahead of Sunday’s trip to bottom club Paderborn.

Norwegian teenager Haaland, who has scored 13 goals in 14 games for Dortmund since joining from Salzburg, reportedly suffered an injury in an accidental collision with the referee during the loss to Bayern.

Second-placed Dortmund sit seven points adrift of the reigning champions with six matches remaining in the season, which restarted earlier this month following the coronavirus lockdown.

“We want to keep playing like we have done in the second half of the season,” said Swiss coach Favre. “It’s going to be six very difficult games.”