Berlin: Borussia Dortmund must wait on Mats Hummels’ ankle injury for next Saturday’s Champions League final, while Wembley opponents Bayern Munich finished the Bundesliga season with a seven-goal thriller.
Centre-back Hummels is an injury doubt for the London final after damaging ankle ligaments in Dortmund’s shock 2-1 Bundesliga defeat at home to Hoffenheim on Saturday.
The centre-back picked up the injury in the process of fouling Hoffenheim’s Kevin Volland in the area, which led to the first of Sejad Salihovic’s two penalties in the last 13 minutes.
Hummels limped off on 77 minutes, was taken to hospital and Dortmund are waiting to discover the extent of the damage.
“He went over on it, which rarely means there is good news,” said Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp.
“The ankle looks thick, but with a view for the final, there is definitely a chance he can play, according to the team doctor.”
There was some good news for Dortmund on Saturday as midfielder Mario Goetze told German daily Bild his hamstring injury is healing well and he is positive of his chances of playing at Wembley.
But Klopp was far from happy as the side likely to start at Wembley failed to take their chances against Hoffenheim.
“We played great football for the first hour, but we didn’t take our chances,” he said after his team were denied a late equaliser by Marcel Schmelzer, which the referee ruled offside.
“The penalties were no problem, but I can’t say anything about the goal for 2-2 which wasn’t given. We can draw a thick line under the Bundesliga season and we just want to see who we have fit now for Wembley.”
Both Dortmund and Bayern fielded teams likely to start at Wembley, with differing results.
Having lifted the German league shield last weekend, Bayern came from two goals down to secure a 4-3 win at Borussia Moenchengladbach, with France winger Franck Ribery scoring twice and creating the other goals.
The champions dug deep for their 29th league victory in 34 matches, as Arjen Robben hit the second-half winner after Gladbach had scored three goals in the opening 10 minutes.
“We have seen from the result in Dortmund, but you cannot rule it out that minds are already thinking about the final,” admitted Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes.
“I certainly saw that with my team. Everything revolves around the final.
“It was important for us to win today and maintain self-confidence.
“Gladbach caught us out, they have a good system, a good counter-attack and they press well, they were a decent opponent to practice for Wembley.”
Having started as a 19-year-old striker at Moenchengladbach in 1963, before coaching the team, Heynckes said he had “closed the circle” of his career after his 1,011th and final Bundesliga game at Gladbach.
His Bayern team are still bidding for the treble of European, league and cup titles as, after the Champions League final, they will take on Stuttgart in the German Cup final in Berlin on June 1.
Bayern finish the league season with 25 Bundesliga records, including most wins (29), most points (91), fewest goals conceded (18) and the biggest points lead over the side in second (25).
