Klopp´s Paraguay shot over Barrios blow

Borussia Dortmund will be without Lucas Barrios for up to six weeks after finding the forward’s thigh injury is worse than first expected.

The Paraguay forward tore his thigh muscle during the 3-0 loss to Uruguay in the Copa America final on July 24.

The Bundesliga champions initially expected to be without Barrios for two or three weeks, but it was confirmed on Wednesday he could miss double that period.

Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp said the club’s relationship with Paraguay, who gave them the initial diagnosis, had been soured.

“It is not a pretty story. The tear to the muscle fibres is a lot larger than we were told,” he told the club’s official website.

“The injury is far worse than Paraguay’s team doctor had told us.”

“He is expected to be out for five to six weeks. This is very annoying and casts a shadow over our relationship with the Paraguayan Football Association.”

The injury means Klopp will be without his leading goalscorer from last season until mid-September.

Meanwhile, Dortmund defender Neven Subotic has played down his team’s favouritism to take out back-to-back league titles.

The Serbia centre-back said the 2010/11 campaign counted for nothing and they needed to once again prove they were the best.

“Other people try to make us the favourites but we don’t see it that way. We are still a very young squad, one that had a phenomenal last year, admittedly, but that doesn’t buy us anything this year,” Subotic said.

“Everything starts from zero again. We do know that we have the quality, now we have to prove this on the pitch.”

Dortmund begin their title defence when they welcome Hamburg to Signal Iduna Park on Friday.