Why club captain Schmelzer was dropped against Leverkusen - Stoger reveals

Borussia Dortmund head coach Peter Stoger has revealed a "sporting decision" was the reason for Marcel Schmelzer missing the 4-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen.

Captain Schmelzer was not only dropped from the starting XI but left out of Dortmund's matchday squad for the Bundesliga fixture at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday.

Stoger instead started Manuel Akanji at left-back, while Julian Weigl, Mario Gotze and Jadon Sancho were also drafted into the team following last weekend's 2-0 derby defeat to Schalke.

"It's a sporting decision," Stoger told Sky when asked about Schmelzer's absence prior to kick-off.


"A captain usually plays in the starting line-up. Like several other players, he has not delivered optimal performances over the course of recent weeks.

"We need a certain degree of robustness in the full-back positions to counter the quick lads in the Leverkusen team."

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