Gladbach injury list grows as Kleindienst sits out Hoffenheim with Kühn nearing return

Borussia Mönchengladbach's injury woes deepened ahead of their relegation six-pointer against TSG Hoffenheim, with striker Tim Kleindienst confirmed unavailable for Sunday's clash at the foot of the Bundesliga table.

Borussia Mönchengladbach training session

Kleindienst, who already missed the derby defeat to 1. FC Köln, will again be absent as the Foals — currently rooted to the bottom of the table — prepare to host the 17th-placed Sinsheimers in a crucial basement battle.

"It's bitter for him [Kleindienst], it's bitter for us. Of course, it's a time when we could really, really use him," said coach Alexander Blessin.

The experienced forward is not alone on the treatment table. He now joins defenders Jan Leszczynski and Fritz Fleck among those sidelined for the time being. Blessin cited knee problems as the cause of Leszczynski's injury — the 19-year-old centre-back having hurt his knee in training on Friday, 16 October, according to prior reporting — while last weekend's debutante Fleck suffered a severe strain.

"We'll have to see how things develop over the next few days," Blessin explained in his press conference regarding the 19-year-old Fleck.

The Hoffenheim fixture also comes too soon for Franck Honorat and Ko Itakura. However, there is a glimmer of hope in attack, with Nicolas Kühn edging closer to a return. Blessin said the club are "still weighing up" whether the on-loan player from Como 1907 could feature after recovering from a torn muscle bundle in his left thigh.

Beyond the current crop of absentees, Jens Castrop remains sidelined, while new signing Enzo Leopold is nursing a torn cruciate ligament.