Bundesliga

Borussia Dortmund are reportedly in regular contact with former Manchester United and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho has been out of management since he was sacked by United in December 2018, but he is said to be learning German ahead of a possible new venture in the Bundesliga.

That's according to Bild (h/t MailOnline's Tom Farmery), who reported the 56-year-old is the top choice to succeed Lucien Favre at Dortmund, who are fourth in the Bundesliga—one point back on joint-leaders Borussia Monchengladbach and Wolfsburg.

The Black and Yellows have drawn three of their last four league fixtures, and sportswriter Manuel Veth recently spoke of tension between manager and chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke:

Mourinho has faced Dortmund four times in his managerial career (all in the UEFA Champions League while at Real Madrid), losing two and winning one.

This season is the first Mourinho has started without a club since the beginning of his managerial career, instead taking up a role as a pundit with Sky Sports:

The tactician's reported annual wage at Manchester United of £24 million is likely to impact his chances of becoming a manager in Germany, where finances are a more sensitive topic for the part-supporter-owned clubs.

Bayern Munich have already lost once this season, and some Dortmund fans may be disappointed should Favre fail to capitalise upon the uncertainty that's grown at the Allianz Arena under Niko Kovac.

Die Roten no longer look like the unbeatable domestic force they have done in recent years with managers like Jupp Heynckes, Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola.

Watzke also revealed Dortmund tried to bring back a managerial heavyweight in Jurgen Klopp last year but were unsuccessful, per the Mirror's Alex Richards:

Mourinho's last two jobs at United and Chelsea (his second stint) have each ended sourly, with speculation of player unrest and big personalities clashing apparent towards the end of both spells.

Germany is one of the few major European leagues in which Mourinho is yet to try his hand, though there are obstacles blocking the path before he can tick that box with Dortmund.

Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has said he expects defender Lucas Hernandez to be out "for a long time" after the injury he picked up on Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League.

The German champions were 3-2 winners on the night against Olympiacos, although the victory came at a cost, as the France international couldn't finish the game because of an ankle issue.

Salihamidzic said it's likely the team will be without their record signing for a while. "He will be out for a long time," he told Sport1 (h/t Goal.com, via Yahoo Sport). "Several weeks."

Manager Niko Kovac provided further details on Hernandez's condition: "Hernandez has problems with his ankle. We have to see whether the ligament was also affected. He has severe pain on the inside of his ankle; that's why we had to take him out. It's very frustrating."

Christian Falk of Sport Bild also reported that Hernandez is poised to spend some time on the sidelines:

Bayern have endured some poor fortune when it comes to injuries of late, with a number of defensive players suffering from issues.

It was confirmed earlier this week that they may be without star centre-back Niklas Sule for the remainder of the campaign after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in Saturday's Bundesliga draw with Augsburg.

Here is the moment Sule's season came to a premature end:

In addition, on Tuesday, Kovac also had to bring off Javi Martinez, who is able to drop into a centre-back position when required. Per the initial report, the manager said the Spaniard "had a muscular problem" and they "didn't want to take any risks."

Prior to Hernandez's injury on Tuesday, German football writer Jonathan Harding summed up the issues Bayern have at the back:

Following the injury to Sule, there was naturally concern when Hernandez went down against Olympiacos, and there were fears he'd suffered an injury of comparable severity.

While Salihamidzic has said he will be absent for a "long time," at this early stage it will give Bayern supporters some small comfort that the sporting director is talking about weeks out of the team instead of months.

Hernandez moved to Bayern from Atletico Madrid in the summer and is regarded as one of the best young defenders in European football. Kovac faces a challenge setting up his team without these key defensive cogs in the coming weeks, starting with Saturday's showdown against Union Berlin.

Marco Reus will be absent for Borussia Dortmund's UEFA Champions League clash at Inter Milan on Wednesday.

According to Bundesliga.com, the Dortmund captain has not travelled to Milan for the Group F clash due to flu, and striker Paco Alcacer will also miss out again with his ongoing Achilles problem.

The Bundesliga side should be boosted, though, by the return of Jadon Sancho, who missed Saturday's 1-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach due to a club suspension:

Dortmund are top of their Champions League group after a 0-0 draw with Barcelona and 2-0 victory away at Slavia Prague.

A win over Inter would be a huge step for the German club to qualifying for the knockout stages out of arguably the toughest group in the tournament.

The absence of both Reus and Alcacer will make the job harder for BVB at the San Siro.

Between them, the pair have netted 10 goals in the Bundesliga this term. Reus was the only player on the scoresheet against Gladbach as Lucien Favre's side moved to within a point of the top of the table:

Dortmund have been in fine form recently. They have lost just one game in 2019-20, and the return of Sancho should go some way to making up for Reus' and Alcacer's absences.

After a brilliant 2018-19 campaign, the Englishman has picked up where he left off, netting three goals and providing five assists in the league.

Inter have just a point from their first two Champions League matches of the new season and will be desperate to beat Dortmund to boost their chances of making the last 16.

Romelu Lukaku will be a key threat for the Milan giants after netting his fourth and fifth Serie A goals of the season in Inter's 4-3 win at Sassuolo on Sunday. 

Bayern Munich defender Niklas Sule can forget about representing Germany at UEFA Euro 2020 after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury, according to club president Uli Hoeness.

Sule was forced off in the 12th minute of Bayern's 2-2 Bundesliga draw against Augsburg on Saturday, and the club later confirmed he suffered a serious knee injury requiring surgery:

It was always likely to leave him sidelined for a lengthy spell, and Hoeness has now said he will not be able to return for next summer's major international tournament, per MailOnline's Jordan Seward: "He can forget the Euros. The season is over for him."

It is a big blow for both Bayern and Germany.

Sule has started all eight of Bayern's Bundesliga games so far this season, and manager Niko Kovac will now have to rely on Jerome Boateng, Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard in the centre-back role.

Both Hernandez and Pavard prefer to play at full-back, but Hoeness confirmed they will not enter the January transfer market to replace Sule, per Seward. It will be a big test, and Bayern's decision to let Mats Hummels return to Borussia Dortmund in the summer could come under scrutiny.

As for Germany, Sule has 24 senior international caps and started both their recent fixtures in the international break against Estonia and Argentina. He was variously partnered by 23-year-old Robin Koch and an out-of-position Emre Can in those internationals:

Earlier this year, Germany manager Joachim Low announced Thomas Muller, Boateng and Hummels were no longer in his plans. After Sule's injury, he may have to rethink that position, as Boateng and Hummels could be needed to fill in at centre-back.

Bayern Munich confirmed on Sunday that Niklas Sule will undergo surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee after he limped out of their 2-2 draw with Augsburg on Saturday.

The Bundesliga champions announced the news via Twitter:

Sule had to be withdrawn just 12 minutes into the draw at the Augsburg Arena.

Although he was able to leave the pitch without needing to use a stretcher, Bayern boss Niko Kovac said he had "a very bad feeling" about Sule's injury, per Goal's Dom Farrell.

Sule has been an important player for Bayern since his arrival from Hoffenheim in 2017, particularly since Kovac took charge last year.

The 24-year-old was a regular fixture in the back line and had started every match for the Bavarians this season.

Bundesliga commentator Kevin Hatchard is a big admirer:

The Germany international is arguably the team's best centre-back option, so his long-term absence from the side as he recovers from surgery is a blow to Bayern's ambitions.

Fortunately for Munich, though, they have several versatile options to partner Jerome Boateng in the centre of defence.

Summer signings Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez are often used as full-backs but are equally comfortable at centre-back. Javi Martinez can also play in that position as well as at holding midfield, and David Alaba can also cover there if needed.

Bayern won't be at their best until Sule returns, but they shouldn't be short of options as long as their other defenders stay fit.

Borussia Dortmund manager Lucien Favre said the decision to leave Jadon Sancho out of the squad for Saturday's clash with Borussia Monchengladbach was a "disciplinary measure."

Per BBC Sport, Sancho was dropped after he made a late return to the club following the recent international break, during which he represented England in their UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying games against the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.

Speaking after Dortmund's 1-0 win, Favre wasn't keen to talk too much about the situation, although offered some insight into why Sancho was missing, per Sacha Pisani of Goal.

"I am not going to comment on that," the Dortmund boss said. "It was a disciplinary measure. Tomorrow is a new day. That's all. It stays internal."

As relayed in the report, Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc provided further details on the 19-year-old's omission:

"We have a responsibility for the club and, in this case, also for the hygiene of the squad. And therefore the decision was without an alternative. [Sancho] trained alone today and we'd like to think he'll be back against Inter [in the UEFA Champions League].

"He is only suspended today [Saturday]. Jadon is a good lad, but he's very young and shot to the top. He might test his limits and that's why we decided to not call him up today."

Even though they were without one of their key attacking players, Dortmund were able to earn a crucial win, with Marco Reus' second-half goal the difference between the sides. The team's Twitter account praised the captain for overcoming illness to feature in the game:

After Bayern Munich were held to a 2-2 draw away at Augsburg, Dortmund's win over the league leaders further congested the jam-packed top half of the Bundesliga:

Dortmund will be disappointed with Sancho for his tardiness, but it doesn't appear as though the player's breach of discipline will see him left out of the setup for too long. Given how important he has become for the side, supporters will hope to see him back again soon.

Sancho has enjoyed an extraordinary rise over the past couple of campaigns, cementing his status in the Dortmund starting XI and developing into one of the best players in German football despite his tender years.

On the right flank, his speed and trickery has terrified defenders, while his productivity makes him a major threat. Sancho was recently shortlisted for the Golden Boy award, and WhoScored.com took a look at some of his numbers:

After a huge domestic win on Saturday, the massive games keep on coming for Dortmund.

On Wednesday, they travel to face Inter Milan in the Champions League, and then three days later they are away at bitter rivals Schalke in the Bundesliga. Sancho will surely be desperate to shine in both matches after missing an important fixture on Saturday.

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski equalled Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's record of scoring in the first eight Bundesliga matches of a season on Saturday with his goal against Augsburg.

After Bayern went behind to Martin Schmidt's strike inside the first minute, the Poland international rose to glance home Serge Gnabry's cross in the 14th minute (U.S. only):

Gnabry fired Bayern ahead shortly after the break, but Alfred Finnbogason salvaged a point for Augsburg in the 91st minute.

Lewandowski's goal saw him pull level with Arsenal striker Aubameyang, who scored in each of the first eight Bundesliga matches of the 2015-16 season with Borussia Dortmund:

The 31-year-old's remarkable scoring run also matched a feat from former Bayern striker Roy Makaay:

The goal was his 12th in the Bundesliga this season, his 16th for Bayern in all competitions and his 19th for club and country, following his hat-trick for Poland against Latvia on October 10.

Lewandowski can set a new record if he continues his hot streak with a goal at home to Union Berlin, who are 14th in the Bundesliga and without an away win this season.

Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac has said there is not another player like Serge Gnabry in the Bundesliga. 

The 24-year-old winger has been in sensational form recently for club and country.

He netted four times in Bayern's 7-2 thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League and then enhanced his impeccable international record with a goal in Germany's 2-2 friendly draw against Argentina:

Bayern are back in Bundesliga action at Augsburg on Saturday, and Kovac hailed Gnabry's abilities ahead of the visit to the WWK Arena, per Bundesliga.com:

"He's developed really well, but he can still get even better. Let's just wait and see what happens. If he can stay healthy and keep a clear head, he'll continue to develop.

"He's world-class. There's nobody else with his abilities in the Bundesliga. He can shoot with his left or right foot, but he could exploit his pace better in the final third and go deeper every now and again, as he's a real weapon there. He's a great guy."

The German champions slipped to a surprise 2-1 defeat to Hoffenheim before the international break to fall two points behind league leaders Borussia Monchengladbach.

Kovac will be keen to see his side get back to winning ways against Augsburg ahead of a trip to Olympiacos in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Gnabry is not the only Bayern attacker in fine form at the moment.

Robert Lewandowski has found the target in all seven of Bayern's Bundesliga games this season, netting 11 in total, and he scored a hat-trick for Poland against Latvia during the international break:

Augsburg are 14th in the German top flight and have conceded 19 goals already this season, the most in the Bundesliga.

They have also lost each of their last five home fixtures against Bayern by an aggregate score of 5-17, so Kovac's side will be confident of getting back to winning ways on Saturday.   

Bayer Leverkusen manager Peter Bosz has said "nobody can decide" what decision star midfielder Kai Havertz makes on his future.

The youngster has enjoyed an exciting rise in recent seasons, developing into one of the best players in the Bundesliga and one of the standout prospects in German football. As a result, it's been no surprise to see a number of high-profile clubs linked with a move for the playmaker.

The Leverkusen boss said he would like to keep him for a few more years, but appreciates that may be a challenge, per Sport Bild (h/t Marcus Banks of the Manchester Evening News).

"Of course I would like to keep him, just as I would have liked to keep Julian Brandt, for example," he said, referencing the winger who left Bayer for Borussia Dortmund in May. "Kai is only 20 and still has room for improvement. I can help him there. But it is like this, at the end the player himself must feel when he is ready for the next step. Nobody can decide that for him."

As relayed by Banks, both Manchester City and Manchester United have been linked with a move for the youngster, as well as Liverpool, Real Madrid and German champions Bayern Munich.

Havertz has had his potential recognised recently, as he was nominated for the 2019 Golden Boy award alongside some of the best young players in the world. BR Football's Sam Tighe believes the 20-year-old has a chance of winning it:

Squawka Football's Statman Dave provided the numbers behind Havertz's exceptional 2018-19 season:

The youngster has long been regarded as a future star in Germany, although few would have anticipated him having quite as productive a campaign last year.

Havertz was the key man in an exciting Leverkusen side, operating in support of the centre-forward. From there, he was afforded freedom to influence the game, whether that be dropping deep to pick up possession or surging forward into the penalty area to get on the end of passes.

Having a knack for goalscoring at such a young age will naturally get the big clubs sniffing around the Leverkusen tyro, especially given he's shown he can produce on the international stage too:

Still, the youngster naturally still has a lot to learn, something Cristian Nyari of DAZN picked up on recently when Leverkusen travelled to Dortmund in the Bundesliga:

While there was some speculation about possibly leaving Leverkusen in the summer, you sense Havertz will benefit from another season at the club, where he will continue to play a vital role in the team.

If he maintains the standards he's showcased since the start of last season, talk about a transfer will only intensify and that may be a challenge for Bosz to deal with. When Havertz does eventually decide the time is right to move on, he will not be short of suitors.

Bayern Munich legend Lothar Matthaus has said he hopes the club don't pursue a transfer for Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Christian Eriksen as he's "too slow" for the way the team plays.

Eriksen's future has long been a topic of discussion, as the Denmark international's contract with the north London club is set to expire at the end of the campaign.

A number of high-profile clubs have been linked with the classy playmaker, although Matthaus, who won seven Bundesliga titles across two spells with the Munich club, said he doesn't want to see the German giants pursue Eriksen, per Sport 1 (h/t Sean Lunt of Sport Witness):

"I have been following the player for a long time, and he has disappointed me so far in 2019. A transfer to Bayern would not make any sense for me and would be very surprising. For me, he is not a player who helps Bayern.

"If he is not enough for Tottenham, he is not good enough for Bayern. Uli Hoeness has also said that Bayern do not need substitutes."

Matthaus went on to add that he believes Eriksen is a "fine technician", but is "too slow" for the style of football that manager Niko Kovac wants to play. He also said the German champions should concentrate on trying to sign Bayer Leverkusen starlet Kai Havertz, who operates as an attacking midfielder.

Per Lunt, Bayern have regularly been mentioned as possible suitors for Eriksen. If he doesn't agree an extension with Spurs, he'd be available for a cut-price amount in January or on a free transfer at the end of the campaign.

Eriksen's form has been inconsistent this term. Per WhoScored.com, the Dane's delivery, which is usually pinpoint, has been off the mark:

Earlier in the campaign, James Maw of The Athletic commented on a sub-par performance from the midfielder against Olympiacos in the UEFA Champions League:

Bayern are well stocked in the attacking midfield positions, with Philippe Coutinho shining since joining the club on loan from Barcelona. However, it'd be a shock if the Munich club agreed to pay the €120 million needed to make the agreement permanent.

As relayed by Matthaus, Havertz has also been frequently linked with a switch to Bayern, having excelled for Leverkusen in recent seasons:

Eriksen may not be playing well at the moment, but he's been crucial to Tottenham developing into Champions League regulars under Mauricio Pochettino.

On the ball, he's adept at unlocking opposition defences with his inventiveness, whether that be whipping in a cross from out wide or threading passes through tight spaces. And while he may not be the quickest, off the ball he covers a lot of ground.

With that in mind, if he was available on a free transfer and Bayern did bring him in next summer, you sense plenty across Europe would hail a savvy piece of business.