Dortmund lose Kehl for Juventus clash

Berlin - Borussia Dortmund will be without Sebastian Kehl for the next four weeks as they prepare to face Juventus in the Champions League after the experienced midfielder suffered a shoulder injury.

Kehl will miss Dortmund's last 16 clash at Italian league leaders Juventus on February 24 with the return leg in Dortmund on March 18.

Despite qualifying for the last 16 in Europe, Dortmund will resume their Bundesliga campaign next week second from bottom of the table after losing a disastrous 10 of their 17 German league matches in the first half of the season.

The 34-year-old Kehl will also miss their opening league match of 2015 at Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday January 31 after the Bundesliga's winter break.

Kehl picked up the injury in last Saturday's 1-0 friendly win over Romania's Steaua Bucharest during their Spanish training camp.

The set-back adds to Dortmund's woes after Germany squad members Erik Durm and Sven Bender returned from Spain with injuries.

Midfielder Kevin Grosskreutz is expected to be available to face both Juventus and Leverkusen despite injuring ankle ligaments against Steaua.

According to German daily Bild, Dortmund are interested in signing former Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra, 29, as cover as the Frenchman is currently without a club since being released by Lokomotiv Moscow.

ryj/nr