Borussia Dortmund said forward Jadon Sancho has returned to training ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final home leg against Manchester City after being out for more than a month due to a muscle injury.
Sancho has not played for the Bundesliga side since their German Cup quarter-final win over Borussia Moenchengladbach on March 2.
The 21-year-old missed the 2-1 defeat by City in the first leg last week and was also unavailable for England’s 2022 World Cup qualifiers against San Marino, Albania and Poland during the international break.
“Jadon Sancho returned to training to complete an individual session this morning,” Dortmund tweeted on Sunday.
Sancho, a product of City’s academy, rejected a new contract at the Premier League club when he was 17 to join Dortmund in 2017. He has six goals and nine assists in the Bundesliga this season
Dortmund confident despite first-leg loss
Despite the loss to Manchester City the Germans are confident of their chances in the return leg. Phil Foden scored a last-minute winner for the English side on Tuesday after Dortmund had equalised some six minutes from time but for scorer and captain Marco Reus, the tie is still wide open.
“Had we returned home with a 1-1 then everyone would have be satisfied,” Reus said.
“Now the feeling is not that good for us although we did a lot of things right.”
Dortmund are playing a disappointing domestic Bundesliga campaign and could miss out on next season’s Champions League.
But success in Europe, especially against City, would go a long way towards rebuilding confidence in the team while also restoring ties with fans, fuming over top striker Erling Haaland’s representatives meeting with several top European clubs, while the team struggles for form.
The Norwegian, who has bagged 21 league goals and another 10 in the Champions League this season but has failed to score in his last five games for club and country, is reportedly top of the transfer list for several major clubs.
Before his likely departure in the summer, though, Dortmund, who are in the German Cup last four, are desperate to finish the season strongly.
“Obviously this was a clear step forward for us,” said Reus ahead of next week’s return leg. “The chances to qualify are all there. We have to do it well in the return leg. It will be a huge challenge and a test at the highest level.”
