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Feb 17

Reus' fitness an issue for Moenchengladbach

Fitness Comments Off on Reus' fitness an issue for Moenchengladbach

BERLIN (AP)—Marco Reus has become the latest Bundesliga star to struggle with groin problems, threatening to derail Borussia Moenchengladbach’s title bid before it really begins.

Arguably the league’s best performer this season, Reus’ scintillating performances have led Moenchengladbach to third.

But the 22-year-old pulled out of training Wednesday and is a major doubt for Saturday’s visit to Kaiserslautern.

Arjen Robben missed the first part of the season with groin problems, and it’s still unclear when Mario Goetze will be back from a similar injury.

Moenchengladbach hopes to keep pace with Bayern Munich and leader Borussia Dortmund, who are one and three points ahead respectively. Both also play Saturday.

Munich visits bottom side Freiburg, while Dortmund should stretch a 15-game unbeaten run at Hertha Berlin, despite Shinji Kagawa being ruled out after tearing a left ankle ligament in training on Wednesday.

Dortmund said the influential Japan midfielder will be out for two to three weeks.

Hertha is still without a coach after sacking Michael Skibbe last weekend following five straight defeats in all competitions and is just two points clear of the relegation zone before its 1,000th Bundesliga game.

Reus was flown to Munich to visit Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt, the same specialist who oversaw treatment on Robben’s recurring groin problems.

The Bayern Munich player, like Goetze, was beset by a pubic bone inflammation, an injury that has puzzled doctors with no clear treatments known to work.

“Sometimes it’s better, then worse. Nobody could tell me when I’d be fit again. There were always setbacks,” Robben said.

Moenchengladbach is taking every precaution to protect Reus, mindful that the injury—if not treated properly—could lead to a long layoff.

Goetze hasn’t played for Borussia Dortmund since Dec. 11 and the playmaker will be out for at least another month.

Reus has scored 13 goals and set up six more to help Moenchengladbach make the transformation from relegation candidates last year to title dark horses.

“Bayern are still my favorites, but ‘Gladbach don’t need to hide,” said Stefan Effenberg, who won silverware with both clubs. “They play a football which deserves to make them champions.”

The league’s top defense—just 12 goals conceded in 21 games—has also contributed to Moenchengladbach’s success, which was bottom of the table and seven points from safety when Lucien Favre was appointed coach on Valentine’s Day last year.

Favre immediately plugged gaps in a defense that had conceded 56 goals to crawl its way to third from bottom before winning the relegation playoff to stay in the top division.

After fixing the problems at the back, Favre turned attention to the forwards, where Reus, who has agreed to a ?17.5-million ($23 million) move to his native Dortmund at the end of this season, is backed by a supporting cast of striker Mike Hanke, rising star Patrick Herrmann and Venezuela captain Juan Arango.

Hanke’s improvement from six goals in his first 34 appearances to five in his last eight games is indicative of the transformation under Favre.

“Favre managed to get the players to follow him without question. The 1-0 win in Munich on the first day of the season opened the door,” Effenberg told German daily Bild.

“His meticulous work is behind it. … Last season ‘Gladbach was the shooting target for the league, now they have the best attack. Favre has all the players playing to the limit.”

Last week’s 3-0 rout of Schalke has Moenchengladbach dreaming of a first title since 1977, but the players are mindful of the threat posed by relegation-threatened Kaiserslautern.

“Motivation is not a problem against top sides like Schalke but you have to be just as focused against so-called lesser opposition,” said Brazilian defender Dante, who is reportedly a transfer target for Bayern.

Meanwhile, Robben has been unable to reassert himself in Bayern’s starting lineup since returning from injury, with German international Thomas Mueller taking his normal place on the right.

Robben seems certain to start on the bench for the third game in a row in all competitions, with Mueller ending a 1,162-minute goal drought by scoring last week’s 2-0 win over Kaiserslautern.`

“That was a huge load off my mind,” said Mueller.

Also Saturday, Hamburger SV hosts Werder Bremen in their 176th Northern Derby, Cologne visits Nuremberg, and Bayer Leverkusen will hope to put its 3-1 Champions League loss to Barcelona behind when it welcomes relegation-threatened Augsburg.

Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voeller criticized defenders Michal Kadlec and Manuel Friedrich for fighting to change jerseys with loss.

Schalke hosts Wolfsburg led by former coach Felix Magath on Sunday, when Hannover hosts Stuttgart.

Mainz gets the weekend’s games under way at Hoffenheim on Friday.

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Reus' fitness an issue for Moenchengladbach

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