Dortmund hit by injury crisis for Bayern clash

SaturdayHertha vs Leverkusen 4:30pmEintracht vs SC FreiburgFrankfurt vs Schalke 04FC Augsburg vs HoffenheimNurnberg vs WolfsburgDortmund vs Bayern 7:30pmSundayHamburg SV vs Hannover 96 4:30pmBremen vs Mainz 6:30pmBERLIN. Borussia Dortmund have a record better than most against Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich having not lost to their title rivals in the league since 2010 but they face an injury crisis ahead of their clash on Saturday.Dortmund, four points behind Bayern, must patch up a depleted back line with central defenders Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic out for months with injuries.Left back Marcel Schmelzer and right back Lukasz Piszczek are also unavailable, with Germany international Schmelzer out for three weeks and Poland defender Piszczek only just back after a double hip surgery in the close season.Coach Juergen Klopp signed free agent Manuel Friedrich this week but it is still unclear whether the Germany international, who has not played since leaving Bayer Leverkusen last season, will be fit for the game.Dominant Bayern, who beat Dortmund 2-1 in last season’s Champions League final en route to winning the first treble by a German team, want revenge for their season-opening German Super Cup defeat to their fierce rivals.They will, however, be without winger Franck Ribery who cracked a rib in France’s 3-0 win over Ukraine on Tuesday, as coach Pep Guardiola looks to to extend their record-breaking 37-game unbeaten run.Bayern will also be without injured Bastian Schweinsteiger but defender Jerome Boateng is fit to play despite sustaining a minor knock on the heel in Germany’s over England win at Wembley on Tuesday.