Spain striker Paco Alcacer will sit out Borussia Dortmund’s crunch Champions League clash at his former club Barcelona on Wednesday.
Dortmund, who are a point behind group leaders Barcelona, flew to Spain Tuesday without their striker, who has scored seven goals in 13 games this season, as the 26-year Alcacer has a gastrointestinal infection, according to his club.
A win at Barcelona’s Nou Camp stadium will put either club in the last 16.
Alcacer also injured his knee in the first-half of last Friday’s disappointing 3-3 draw at home to Bundesliga bottom club Paderborn, when the hosts were three goals down at half-time.
Germany forward Mario Goetze is most likely to start in place of Alcacer, who joined Dortmund on loan from Barcelona in August 2018, but was signed permanently for the start of this season in a deal reportedly worth 21 million euros ($23m).
Dortmund head coach Lucien Favre is under huge pressure after recent poor results, including a 4-0 thrashing at Bayern Munich, then Friday’s draw at home to Paderborn after a woeful first-half performance.