Who can replace the injured Nico Schlotterbeck at Borussia Dortmund?
Nico Schlotterbeck’s FIFA World Cup 2026-ending injury is not only a setback for Germany in their quest for victory, but also gives Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovač some thinking to do ahead of the 2026/27 campaign. Here are the alternative options at his disposal…
On a personal level, last season was arguably the best of Schlotterbeck’s four at Signal Iduna Park. He scored five goals in 28 games as Dortmund conceded fewer goals than any other side in the Bundesliga, including champions Bayern Munich.
His stellar performances earned him a starting spot in Nagelsmann’s World Cup XI, and he netted his first international goal in the 7-1 victory over Curaçao. However, his tournament ended prematurely as he was substituted at half-time of the 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast, having suffered an ankle issue before the break.
Watch: Pass-master Nico Schlotterbeck
While that will obviously impact Germany’s plans, Kovač will now start looking at how he will set up his backline – now mostly wedded to a back three – at the start of next season in Schlotterbeck’s absence.
Having played all but two games for BVB in the Bundesliga in 2025/26, Waldemar Anton’s place in the starting line-up now looks even more secure, but captain Emre Can’s own long-term fitness problems and Niklas Süle’s retirement leave the Black-Yellows with a lack of senior options.
Alongside him, Kovač has similar experience in Ramy Bensebaini Now 31, the versatile Algeria international has seven Bundesliga seasons under his belt and played 29 games in the back three across all competitions last term. He offers the added bonus of being left-footed – like Schlotterbeck – and also popped up with seven goals, showing his ability to contribute in the final third.
Besides those two, though, Kovač has little option but to call upon a youngster still learning his trade. On the opening day of last term, an injury crisis led to Filippo Mané starting against St. Pauli, a game during which he earned a red card in the final stages as the score ended 3-3.
That was very much a baptism of fire for the Italy international, though, and he will have learned plenty having spent the majority of the season’s remainder with the first team, even if playing time was hard to come by.
He appears to have been superseded in the pecking order by compatriot Luca Reggiani, who featured regularly in the second half of the recently finished campaign. At just 18 years of age, he is already a physical specimen standing at 6’4”, and he slotted in seamlessly when deployed – Dortmund lost just one of the eight Bundesliga games he participated in.
BVB have already made moves in the transfer market to sign Joane Gadou from Red Bull Salzburg. Another prodigy at 19, he featured 33 times across all competitions for the Austrian outfit last term, while he has been capped eight times at U19 level for France. He has a similar build to Reggiani, suggesting Dortmund's clear desire to add imposing strength to their backline.
You may well be forgiven for thinking he would need time to adapt to his new surroundings, but the BVB hierarchy clearly see him as one for the here and now rather than just the future. "Joane will bolster our ranks and take on an important role with us from the start of the new season. We're convinced of his qualities and see enormous potential for development,” Dortmund CEO Lars Ricken said upon his arrival.
Losing Schlotterbeck with his presence, leadership and distribution is undoubtedly a setback, but Kovač knows that, at least in the short term, he has options that can soften the blow. The dilemma now is who to entrust with an integral role in the team come the start of the upcoming term.
