Depleted BVB Ready For Bayern In Derby

[Folami David]

An injury-ravaged Borussia Dortmund face leaders Bayern Munich on Saturday in the Bundesliga's version of "el clasico" in a crucial few days for the club.
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Dortmund lost central defender Mats Hummels and left-back Marcel Schmelzer to injury playing for Germany Tuesday, and are now without the entire back four which featured in May's Champions League final defeat to Bayern.
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Central defender Neven Subotic recently ruptured his cruciate knee ligament, while right-back Lukasz Piszczek also continues to be sidelined. Midfielder Ilkay Guendogan, out since August with a back problem, is another key player missing.
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Bayern have also suffered an injury setback after midfielder Franck Ribery was diagnosed with a fractured rib and is also out of the match.
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Ribery suffered the injury playing for France Tuesday in the 3-0 victory over Ukraine which has sent Les Bleus to next year's World Cup finals.
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Ribery, who is also a doubt for Wednesday's Champions League match at CSKA Moscow, joins midfielders Bastian Schweinsteiger, Xherdan Shaqiri, striker Claudio Pizarro and defender Holger Badstuber on the injury list.
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While Spain has its traditional "clasico" of Real Madrid versus Barcelona, Dortmund against Bayern has developed over the past years into a similar heavyweight battle to electrify German fans.
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Bayern, spurred on by Dortmund's two title victories in 2011 and 2012, hit back last season with the treble - including the Champions League title in the all-German final - and with a record 37 games without defeat are threatening again under coach Pep Guardiola to steamroller all in front of them.
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Second-placed Dortmund, now four points behind, desperately need a win -or at least not lose - to avoid their rivals running away. Four days later they visit Napoli in the Champions League - a defeat against the Serie A side and they are as good as out.
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Dortmund's acknowledged relative lack of depth compared to Bayern has been exposed by their latest injury misfortunes. The club has responded by signing 34-year-old defender Manuel Friedrich, who has been without a club since leaving Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.