Kovac reveals Emre Can is a doubt for Barcelona clash

Borussia Dortmund captain Emre Can is struggling with muscular problems ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash with FC Barcelona, Niko Kovac revealed on Monday.

Emre Can is a major doubt for Borussia Dortmund’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against FC Barcelona on Tuesday, with the captain sidelined from training due to ongoing muscular issues.

At his pre-match press conference, BVB head coach Niko Kovac confirmed that Can did not participate in Monday’s session as a precaution.

“We rested Emre in training today,” Kovac told reporters, adding: 

“He’s had muscular problems in his adductor area for weeks and is always biting his teeth. You have to emphasize that. It’s possible that he won’t play tomorrow, we’ll have to see.”

Should Can miss out, Ramy Bensebaini is expected to join Niklas Süle and Waldemar Anton in Dortmund’s back three.

Dortmund face a daunting task at Signal Iduna Park after suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat in the first leg at Camp Nou. Despite the uphill battle, Kovac remains hopeful his side can produce something special.

“We are aware of the situation. We want to show a completely different face tomorrow than in the first leg and win the game. There are always miracles, but we also know that Barcelona haven’t lost a competitive game yet this year,” he said.