Borussia Dortmund head into their Bundesliga meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt with a small but notable injury concern, after Niko Kovac said two players missed the team's last training session before kick-off. Kovac said that Kosta and Kaua were the only absentees, adding that Kaua had minor muscle problems while the rest of the squad was available.
The update matters because Dortmund cannot afford any extra disruption at this stage of the season. They were level on points with Bayern Munich after consecutive draws against Werder Bremen and Union Berlin, and those results had already narrowed the margin at the top. Dortmund opened the campaign with four straight wins, but the recent slip-ups pushed the title race back into focus.
For Kosta, the missed session adds to a recent setback. Last weekend, Konstantinos Karetsas twisted his ankle while trying to escape Rani Khedira near the byline. He then sat out Dortmund's trip to Baku on Tuesday and missed the win over Sabah FK in the Champions League.
Borussia Dortmund vs Eintracht Frankfurt standings context
The standings give the match extra weight. Dortmund arrived level with Bayern Munich on points but behind on goal difference, while Eintracht Frankfurt were sitting in 12th place with only two wins. That contrast underlines why Dortmund needed a clean response at Signal Iduna Park, especially with the schedule already demanding focus across the Bundesliga and Champions League.
Kovac's message, though, was mostly positive. "So far, so good. All the lads were at training, apart from Kosta and Kaua," he said. With everyone else ready to play, Dortmund could still field a strong side, but the latest availability update made the final hours before the match worth watching closely.
