Dortmund hoping Sancho return adds cutting edge

Sancho, 17, has been out since damaging ankle ligaments in the 3-2 win at Bundesliga bottom side Cologne in early February.

Stoeger hopes to add Sancho and fellow live-wire winger Maximilian Philipp, sidelined since December by a knee injury, to the squad.

A decision will be made in the final training session as Stoeger looks to boost his options for Saturday’s key league clash.

“We’ll see whether or not they are ready for the weekend,” said Stoeger.

Second-placed Dortmund threw away a lead in Monday’s 1-1 draw at home to mid-table Augsburg and Stoeger was unhappy with the performance.

“We all wish for power football over 90 minutes, when we put the opponent up against the wall, but we’re not managing that,” he said.

“Our basic idea is to make the game more active, I hope we’ll see good quality passes and we have ideas how to improve on last time.”

Michy Batshuayi, on loan from Chelsea, has not scored in his last three games, failing to build on his explosive arrival which saw five goals in three matches last month.

On the plus side, Germany winger Marco Reus is back after nine months sidelined by a knee injury and scored on his last two league appearances.

Leipzig have lost their last three games, including last Sunday’s 2-1 shock reversal against Cologne.

Despite RB’s recent results, Stoeger is bracing himself for a tough night in Leipzig.

“It will be a very different fight to the one against Augsburg, lots of speed and lots of counter-attacks,” said the Austrian.

“If they get it right, they are very dangerous.”

Leipzig coach Ralph Hasenhuettl says Germany striker Timo Werner has been on red-hot form in training following a five-game goalless drought in the league.

Hasenhuettl had a frank chat with 21-year-old Werner, who failed to manage a single shot after coming on for the final 20 minutes against Cologne.

“From what I have seen in the last two days, he is a lot tidier (in training),” said Hasenhuettl.

“Just like any striker who hasn’t scored for a while, you can see he isn’t in the best mood.”