Dortmund hopes for fit Guirassy against Bayern
Borussia Dortmund boss Nuri Sahin is hopeful striker Serhou Guirassy will be ready to play a bigger part against Bayern Munich after his return from a brief illness.
Guirassy was down with a virus for a few days before returning as a substitute against Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Champions League and scoring in the 3-0 win.
He has scored six times in the Bundesliga this season, a total only bettered by Jonathan Burkardt, Tim Kleindienst, who both have seven, Omar Marmoush with 11 and Harry Kane with 14.
Guirassy's return will be a huge boost for Dortmund, which is aiming to maintain its unbeaten top-flight record at home this term, having won all six of its matches so far.
Asked whether Guirassy will start in the crunch Bundesliga clash against leader Bayern, Sahin said: "We expect that he will be a step further.
"Obviously, he is a very important player for us. A player like him can change a game's entire structure.
"He handled his substitute appearance in Zagreb well after his illness," the Dortmund boss added.
This Der Klassiker will be the 136th top-flight clash between the two sides, making this the most contested fixture in German professional football.
Bayern has suffered more defeats to Dortmund in all competitions than against any other side – 33, most recently 2-0 at home in March.
However, Dortmund has also recorded more losses against Bayern than anyone else with 67.
"It is the biggest game in Germany, the one that gets the most exposure and I think it will be the biggest for quite some time," Sahin said.
"It is special to be in this role for such a game."
Bayern has won its past five Bundesliga games without conceding a goal and can match a six-match run achieved under Pep Guardiola in 2014 if it wins without conceding against Dortmund.
"Bayern defend high and that creates spaces at the back but they keep the opponents away," the Dortmund coach said.
"There will be spaces for us to play in but they have not conceded a goal in some games now.
"We have the expectation to win at home. There's no reason not to have that expectation with six wins from six home games. But the fact is Bayern are ahead on points and it is a chance for us to close the gap."
