Borussia Dortmund begin their Bundesliga season this Saturday against Hamburger SV carrying real defensive problems after a difficult week. The 1-2 Supercup defeat to Bayern Munich on August 22 was a setback in itself, but the injuries and suspensions that came with it have made the situation more pressing. Nico Schlotterbeck, the club's defensive leader, remains sidelined with a ligament injury sustained at the World Cup in June, and the Ruhr Nachrichten report his return is now not expected until after the October international break. Ramy Bensebaini made things worse by picking up a red card late in the Supercup and was subsequently taken to hospital with a suspected rib injury. Coach Niko Kovac heads into matchday one with his defensive options stretched thin.

The performance against Bayern offered mixed signals. Dortmund were dominated in the first half, with Serhou Guirassy largely invisible before being substituted in the 62nd minute, drawing pointed criticism from pundit Stefan Effenberg. Yet the second half showed more character, with new signing Konstantinos Karetsas catching the eye and Fabio Silva scoring from the bench. That cameo from Silva has complicated the squad picture, as the Portuguese forward is attracting interest from several clubs ahead of the September 1 transfer deadline.

On the positive side, the Karetsas signing looks well-timed. Dortmund beat AC Milan to the 18-year-old's signature from Genk for 30 million euros, and he is set for his Bundesliga debut on Saturday. The club also continues to negotiate with Barcelona over right-back Hector Fort, with reports describing talks as constructive.