'Not an option': Haaland expected to miss Rangers clash

Berlin (AFP) – Injured Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland is expected to remain sidelined for his side’s Europa League last-16 clash with Rangers on Thursday, despite returning to team training.

“He is not an option,” said Dortmund coach Marco Rose said Wednesday of the Norwegian striker, who has been out since January 22 with a muscular injury. 

Haaland appears to moving closer to a comeback, however, with Kicker magazine reporting Wednesday that he had taken part in a significant part of his side’s final training session ahead of the Rangers game. 

Rose will also be without midfield general Emre Can, who is serving a suspension after he was sent off in Dortmund’s final Champions League group game against Besiktas in December. 

US international Giovanni Reyna is expected to be available against his father Claudio’s former club, after recovering from a stomach bug. 

Claudio Reyna played for Rangers between 1999 and 2001, and named his son after then teammate and current Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst. 

“I’ve known Gio since he was a boy, and I have a special relationship with him,” said Van Bronckhorst on Wednesday. 

Rose said he thought his side could go “very far” in the Europa League, amid a thus far disappointing season. 

As well as crashing out of the Champions League at the group stage, Dortmund were also knocked out of the German Cup by second-tier side St Pauli, and remain six points behind Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga title race.