Borussia Dortmund

Silva (hamstring) still needs time to recover from the surgery he had during summer, coach Niko Kovacs said in the press conference. "We're trying to improve things little by little. He's progressing, but we can't rush things. We won't make any mistakes. We certainly hope he'll return as soon as possible, but without the green light from the medical service, I won't make any effort to push him."

Brandt will be a late fitness call for Saturday's clash against Heidenheim, coach Niko Kovacs said in the press conference. "We'll have to see if Julian Brandt will be fit by the weekend."

Schlotterbeck (knee) is not fully fit yet and eased back by the medical staff, coach Niko Kovacs said in the press conference. "We're giving Schlotti the time he needs. He's not ready for a competitive match yet. He needs to be 100% fit."

Schlotterbeck (knee) was back in partial team training, according to his club.