Dortmund offer Aubameyang injury update

Borussia Dortmund have confirmed that forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missed Gabon’s World Cup qualifier against Mozambique after suffering bone bruising in his knee.

Initial reports suggested that the in-form 26-year-old’s absence from Wednesday’s match, where Gabon suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat, was a result of a muscular injury.

But Dortmund posted on their official Twitter page that Aubameyang was missing “due to a bone bruise in his knee”, adding that the player did not have an ankle problem.

Aubameyang’s decisive goal in Sunday’s 3-2 derby victory over Schalke was his 22nd in 20 appearances this season and such sparkling form among Thomas Tuchel’s forwards has restricted the first-team opportunities on offer to Adnan Januzaj.

The on-loan Manchester United youngster has made only five substitute appearances in the Bundesliga, but Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc ruled out cutting short the Belgium international’s season-long stay, amid reports earlier this week that manager Louis van Gaal was ready to recall Januzaj to Old Trafford.

“That’s currently not an issue,” Zorc told Kicker over the prospects of an early return for the 20-year-old, who he praised for making progress “regarding physicalness and robustness”.

Zorc added that the form of Tuchel’s attacking players is continuing to make life difficult for the likes of Januzaj.

“We play an extraordinary season and the others do an incredible job,” he said. “There is no reason to bench them.”