Borussia Dortmund have been dealt a triple injury blow with the news that Mats Hummels, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Sven Bender are all set for spells on the sidelines.
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The alarm bells are already ringing for the German champions, who are nine points behind leaders Bayern Munich and lie fourth in the Bundesliga after a shaky start to the season.
Hummels faces a fortnight out and has been forced to withdraw from the Germany squad to face Republic of Ireland and Sweden after picking up a foot injury during the 1-1 draw with Hannover.
Defensive midfielder Bender is expected to take two weeks to recover after suffering concussion and bruising around the eye during the 1-1 draw with Hannover.
There is worse news regarding Polish international Blaszczykowski, who is set for a much longer layoff after tearing ankle ligaments.
He said he hoped to return within "four to six weeks" but an accurate return date will depend on the results of a scan.
