Borussia Dortmund will be without attacker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and midfielder Nuri Sahin when they take on third-tier club Dynamo Dresden in the German Cup on Tuesday, reports kicker.
The resurgent 2011 and 2012 Bundesliga champions go into the cup tie at Dresden on the back of four consecutive league wins, though kicker reports that coach Jurgen Klopp will be without Aubameyang and Sahin with the former being rested due to muscular problems.
In February, Aubameyang and Marco Reus scored 10 of Dortmund's 14 goals in all competitions after both started in all five games. But the duo will be broken up at Dresden, where 2014 Serie A top scorer Ciro Immobile could be handed a fresh chance up front.
Klopp will also have to do without midfielder Sahin -- the Turkey international was key to Dortmund's resurgent form in February with the club climbing from rock bottom in the table to 10th, but will likely miss out due to an abductor problem.
Despite the duo sitting out, the 2012 German Cup winners remain firm favourites at Dresden as they attempt to reach their fourth consecutive quarterfinal in the competition.
"We want to live our goal, and should we achieve that it will get difficult for Dresden," Klopp told his pregame news conference on Monday.
"We want to return to Berlin, and win the final this time," he continued, referring to the 2-0 extra-time defeat to Bayern Munich last year, which was marred by a controversial decision when a Mats Hummel goal was ruled out despite having crossed the goal-line.
"It was not only down to us that we lost," added Klopp.
This season, Dynamo Dresden have already beaten Dortmund's local rivals Schalke and Bochum in the previous rounds of the German Cup, and Klopp expects a special atmosphere in Saxony on Tuesday night.
"Dresden are ready. It'll be a brutal cup fight, and should we let ourselves in for it, we will run into difficulties," Klopp added. "If you want to win the cup, you have to beat Dresden."