“We’re expecting a real fight”

A trip to the Signal Iduna Park!

It’s fourth against fifth on matchday 14 of the 2023/24 Bundesliga season, as RB Leipzig travel to Dortmund for a huge clash on Saturday (18:30 CET). Our boys will be hoping to build on last weekend’s performance in the 2-1 home win over FC Heidenheim.

Göz Atın

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3-1- RBL Win Friendly Match against Meuselwitz

How has training been this week? Who’s fitfor Saturday’s game? And what does Marco Rose think about Dortmund’s current situation?

Our head coach answered all this and more in today’s press conference. We’ve compiled his most important quotes below.
 

Squad update

• Timo Werner is still out with adductor issues and won’t be involved in the match against Dortmund.
   

Long-term injuries

• El Chadaille Bitshiabu has been partially involved in team training after a long spell on the sidelines
   
• Willi Orban is continuing to train individually after recovering from his knee injury.
   
• Dani Olmo is out for several weeks due to an acromioclavicular joint separation. He has already undergone an operation and is working towards his return.
   

Marco Rose on…

…the match against Dortmund

• “Stuttgart played really well against them in the DFB-Pokal. As a result of that, we’re expecting to come up against a different BVB side, especially considering the pressure they’re under to perform. We’re going to have to be switched on and wary of them.

  I think that their players are feeling a bit annoyed with themselves. We can expect a real fight from the word go. We’ll have to deal with their pace, attackingdynamism and quality. That’s why it’ll be important to try and play the way we want to.”
   

…the unusually long week of training

• “It’s been an exciting week. We’ve used the time well. The team dynamic has also felt a little different, since the lads aren’t rushing around from hotel to hotel and from game to game.

  It’s allowed us to work on a few areas. We didn’t really focus on recovery – we’ve been working hard. It’s allowed us to work on in-game scenarios. A week of training like this one is like an addedbonus.”
   

Marco Rose on…

…El Chadaille Bitshiabu’s comeback 

• “We’re considering whether he should play in next week’s Youth League fixture against Young Boys. Even in a game like that he’d be one of the youngest players on the pitch. It would be a good opportunity for him to play for the first time and for us to give him some minutes.

  It’s still a bit too early for him to play in the Bundesliga, but he’s looked good in training.”
   

…Ilaix Moriba

• “Ilaix was and still is a part of the team. The communication between him and the club have always been clear. Because of the size and quality of the squad, we tried to get him a move to another team in the summer so he could get some game time, but it didn’t work out.

  His conduct has been impeccable. He always works hard in training and is good for morale. That being said, a lack of game time wears anyone down and you can see it with him at the moment. I’d love to give him some minutes, but the squad is just too good and we’ve got back-up options in a lot of positions. We’re hoping that we can find a solution for him in winter.”