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Julian Korb has extended his contract with Borussia Monchengladbach until June 2018, the club announced on Monday.
The 21-year-old full-back has risen through the ranks at Borussia Park and has become a prominent member of the first-team set-up this season, making 13 Bundesliga appearances thus far.
Korb grasped his opportunity when regular right-back Tony Jantschke was required to fill in at centre-back and he has since been able to maintain his position in the starting XI.
His previous deal was due to expire in 2015, and sporting director Max Eberl was thrilled that the youngster decided to extend his stay.
"Julian has managed to make it into the starting 11 this season," he told the club's official website.
"We are pleased that we brought in him another player from our youth team into the first team, and could tie him to us for the long-term."
Despite an eight-match winless run in the Bundesliga, Lucien Favre's men remain in the hunt for a UEFA Champions League berth in seventh position, just five points adrift of fourth-placed Schalke.
Armin Veh has confirmed that he will stand down as Frankfurt head coach at the end of the Bundesliga season.
The 53-year-old moved to the Commerzbank Arena in 2011 and led the team back to the top flight in his first season in charge.
Frankfurt followed that achievement by placing sixth in last season's Bundesliga table, a return that earned a subsequent spot in the UEFA Europa League.
However, Frankfurt have struggled to replicate that form this term and currently sit 12th, just six points above the relegation zone, while the club were knocked out of Europe last week by Porto.
Veh revealed on Monday that he intended to make the announcement sooner, but respected the club's decision to hold fire.
"I wanted to make the decision public in the winter but accepted the club's wish to do so at a later date," he said.
"It's very important to me that, in spite of all the problems we may have, we achieve our aim of staying in the Bundesliga.
"It was also important for me to inform the club well in advance, which I have done. I only told the players of my decision today.
"I cannot imagine that my departure has a negative impact on the team."
Frankfurt president Heribert Bruchhagen added: "Armin Veh informed us in Abu Dhabi (where the club had a training camp during the mid-season break) that he will not be extending his contract here.
"We are all determined to continue working successfully with Armin Veh until the end of June.
"There have been no discussions with other coaches."
Frankfurt may have had struggles in Germany's top flight this season, but they did secure a 2-1 victory over Stuttgart on Sunday thanks to late goals from Jan Rosenthal and Alexander Meier.
Bayern will not stop signing Dortmund stars, says Rummenigge
By Stefan Coerts
Mar 3, 2014 10:41:00 AM
The reigning champions are intent on continuing their transfer policy and will keep on trying to sign the best players available from their arch-rivals
Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says that the Bundesliga champions will not stop signing players from Borussia Dortmund just to maintain a good relationship with their rivals.
The Bavarians have received their fair share of criticism for their tendency to stockpile the Bundesliga's best talent, with the signings of Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski from BVB in particular causing uproar.
Nevertheless, Rummenigge has made it clear that Bayern will not change their transfer policy, irrespective of how their rivals feel about it.
"We would never make a senseless decision to no longer sign players from Dortmund," Rummenigge told ZDF.
"We have a good relationship with Dortmund. I met with their CEO last summer and any bad feelings were cleared up then."
Bayern lured Gotze to the Allianz Arena last season by triggering his €37 million exit clause, while Lewandowski will make the move to Bavaria on a free transfer this summer.
The 68-year-old believes that the Bayern Munich midfielder should be made his side's key man, despite his current stand-off over a new deal
Former Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes has told Toni Kroos to reject the advances of any club - even Barcelona or Real Madrid.
The Germany international is currently locked in a stand-off with the Bavarian club over a new deal and has been linked with a variety of sides, with his current contract set to expire in 2015.
However, the 68-year-old, who led Bayern to a historic treble last term, believes that his old charge could become the figurehead of Pep Guardiola's side and should stay put.
"He shouldn't leave Bayern, not even for Barca or Madrid," he told Kicker.
"He can win everything with this side over the next four years and needs to be playing as the head of the team."
Kroos' brother, Felix, who plays for Werder Bremen, hinted this week that Manchester United are interested in signing the 24-year-old.
The experienced defender has acknowledged that Jens Keller's men have repeatedly let their supporters down of late
Schalke defender Benedikt Howedes has admitted that the Gelsenkirchen side have embarrassed themselves in the past few weeks.
The Bundesliga outfit were hammered 6-1 by Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie before suffering a 5-1 defeat against Bayern Munich at the weekend.
Consequently, Howedes has acknowledged that their performances of late have been well below par, admitting that they were particularly poor at the Allianz Arena.
"It was not worthy of discussion, particularly the way we played in the first half [against Bayern], which was extremely embarrassing. That ruined the whole game for us and there can be no excuses," Howedes told the official Bundesliga website.
"We were tactically like a schoolboy team. It was really poor. We didn't get into the tackles and also committed some shocking individual mistakes. It was another bitter lesson for us.
"At the same time, you've got to remember that Real and Bayern are not the teams we have to measure ourselves up to, even if that cannot explain the margin of these defeats."
Schalke will be looking to get back on track on Saturday when they host Hoffenheim.
Lewandowski sent back to Dortmund with knee injury
Poland striker Robert Lewandowski has left the squad ahead of Wednesday's friendly against Scotland due to a knee injury and is on his way back to Germany for further tests, his club Borussia Dortmund said on Tuesday.
Reuters – Tue, Mar 4, 2014 17:15 GMT
Lewandowski, who will join Bayern Munich next season, is top of the Bundesliga scorers' list with 15 goals. He has added another six in the Champions League.
"Upon his arrival he will be checked by the team doctor to determine the extent of his injury," Dortmund said in a statement.
Dortmund, second in the league behind Bayern, are also in action in the Champions League later this month when they host Zenit St Petersburg in the second leg of the round of 16 after beating them 4-2 in Russia with Lewandowski scoring twice.
Stuttgart's Schneider spared sack ahead of crucial clash
Troubled VfB Stuttgart coach Thomas Schneider was given a reprieve on Tuesday after the club's board decided he would not be sacked ahead of Saturday's crucial relegation clash against Eintracht Braunschweig.
Reuters – Tue, Mar 4, 2014 18:11 GMT
Stuttgart, who have dropped to 15th in the Bundesliga, three points above bottom club Braunschweig, have lost eight straight league games.
"After the emotional game in Frankfurt (on March 2) we took some time that was necessary to analyse the situation calmly and exchange views," said club president Bernd Wahler after a meeting earlier on Tuesday to decide the coach's future.
"The board decided to continue working with Thomas Schneider," he added.
Schneider, who had no previous Bundesliga coaching experience, took over from Bruno Labbadia in late August.
After a good first half of the campaign, Stuttgart have yet to win a point since the end of the mid-season break in late January.
German clubs need to challenge Bayern more-Dortmund boss
Bundesliga clubs should offer more resistance and not roll over and accept defeat against a Bayern Munich side marching towards another league crown, Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said on Wednesday.
Reuters – Wed, Mar 5, 2014 13:59 GMT
Bayern, treble winners last season, are 20 points clear at the top with Dortmund in second place and the title race all but finished after 23 matchdays with 11 left to play.
"I respect the work of Bayern a lot but that does not mean that we - as well as the other Bundesliga clubs - have only got to send letters of submissiveness to Munich," Watzke told sportbild magazine.
"We have the task of beating Bayern on occasion. We should not hang our ambitions to beat Bayern at the cloakroom."
Bayern have been unbeaten in the Bundesliga for more than 16 months with their last loss dating back to October 2012.
With another record-breaking run this season Bayern are on track to defend their German league and Cup titles.
They also beat Arsenal 2-0 last month in London in their Champions League round of 16 first leg tie as they seek to become the first team to successfully defend that trophy.
Their dominance - financial and sporting - has resulted in the Bavarians being accused of creating a "boring" league with some clubs resting key players against Bayern to keep them fit for other games they feel they have more chance of winning.
Schalke 04 coach Jens Keller even joked ahead of their 5-1 demolition by Bayern last week that he would put the team bus in goal to avoid a thrashing.
"Such comments are not helpful," said Watzke, whose club won the league in 2011 and 2012 and lost the 2013 Champions League final to Bayern.
"Club officials should not appear to be so submissive. I am convinced players register such comments.
"No courage is created if one is just happy to have gotten an invitation to the Kaefer (Munich restaurant)," Watzke said.
By Eurosport | Pitchside Europe – Thurs, Mar 6, 2014
A month ago Hamburg’s board kept us in suspense with an eight-hour meeting, after which they decided that former Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk could stay in charge.
Not that it did him much good. The following weekend Hamburg lost 4-2 to bottom club Eintracht Braunschweig and Van Marwijk was shown the door.
This week, Thomas Schneider’s (above, right) future was up for discussion, following a dramatic late turnaround in Frankfurt that left Stuttgart fretting about a first relegation since 1975. The club’s top brass eventually took the same approach as their Hamburg counterparts.
“Following what was an emotional game in Frankfurt, we took the necessary time to calmly analyse the situation and discuss the issues,” VfB president Bernd Wahler said on Tuesday.
“The board has made the decision to continue working with Thomas Schneider. The advisory committee is 100 per cent behind this decision.”
Schneider keeps his job for now then, presumably on condition that the Swabians win their next game. Their opposition on Saturday? Bottom club Eintracht Braunschweig.
The 2-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt was Stuttgart’s eighth straight loss in the league. But if you go a little further back, the statistics are even more damning. Schneider’s team have been beaten in 10 of their last 11 Bundesliga matches, which means they are hovering above the relegation zone on goal difference.
With just 11 games to go, it is not surprising that the club considered their options. Schneider took training on Tuesday morning but, like everyone else, he was awaiting the outcome of that afternoon’s board meeting.
Bild were convinced that Thorsten Fink – sacked by Hamburg in September – was all set to replace Schneider.
Ex-Croatia international and Cologne boss Zvonimir Soldo told Stuttgarter Zeitung that he had been contacted by the club, however, with the suggestion being that he could become Krasimir Balakov’s assistant in a new-look management team. Both men played in the same Stuttgart side as the club’s sporting director Fredi Bobic.
Former Schalke and Hoffenheim coach Ralf Rangnick was also mentioned and then there was experienced former Schalke manager Huub Stevens, who had just been let go by Greek side PAOK Salonika.
In the end, though, the club held fire.
Keeping Schneider on after such a bad run might seem like a gamble but Stuttgart already paid out once this season to sack Bruno Labbadia in August.
The directors want to develop a young side, so it was perhaps inevitable that they would struggle at times. But Schneider, a former Stuttgart defender, started out with four wins, four draws and just one defeat in the Bundesliga.
Furthermore, as the club’s Under-17 coach he had overseen the development of Rani Khedira, younger brother of Real Madrid midfielder Sami, and Timo Werner.
Schneider said the game in Frankfurt was their best performance in weeks, and they do have a favourable fixture list ahead. They face fellow strugglers Braunschweig, Werder Bremen, Hamburg and Nuremburg in successive games.
Reaction to the decision has been mixed, although some fans maintain that the coach is the least of Stuttgart’s worries. Die Zeit agreed, arguing that the general uncertainty and the decision to contact potential replacements points to a “fundamental leadership problem” at the club.
In public at least, however, Schneider still seems to have the backing of senior players.
“I think it’s a good decision,” Germany international Cacau said. “It’s a vote of confidence.
“We’ll give everything as a team on Saturday so that the situation improves and calm returns. I’m optimistic that things will move forward.”
There is certainly little room to go further backwards. Defeat on Sunday would leave the 2007 Bundesliga champions level on points with the team currently propping up the standings. And that would probably necessitate a fresh round of crisis talks.
Hannover forward Artur Sobiech will miss the rest of the Bundesliga season after being ruled out with a knee injury.
The 23-year-old suffered a ligament problem during training on Tuesday and the club have confirmed he will not play any part in the final 11 games of the campaign.
Sobiech, who has scored three goals in 17 Bundesliga games in 2013-14, requires surgery to repair the torn ligament.
"Artur Sobiech needs surgery after he suffered an injury to the external ligament of his left knee," said a statement on the club's official website.
"The operation will be carried out on Thursday in Cologne.
"The striker's course of treatment will be decided tomorrow.
"The Poland international will be out for a number of weeks, missing the rest of this season."
Hannover sit 11th in the Bundesliga, but are only six points clear of the bottom three after a winless four-match streak.
Stuttgart winger Timo Werner has signed a contract extension to keep him with the Bundesliga club until 2018.
The Germany Under-19 international has established himself in the starting XI at the Mercedes-Benz Arena this season and celebrated his 18th birthday by penning a new deal with Thomas Schneider's side.
Stuttgart are only above the relegation zone on goal difference following a dismal run of eight consecutive Bundesliga defeats.
But that streak has not undermined Werner's passion for his boyhood club, with the teenager quick to express his delight after signing the deal.
"VFB (Stuttgart) is my club and has been since I was a little boy – which is why I am so happy about this contract," Werner told the club's official website.
"I went through all of VfB's youth teams and feel completely at home here. I want to continue learning and I am delighted to be able to do just that at my club."
Werner has scored four goals in 25 appearances for Stuttgart this season, and director of sport Fredi Bobic is confident that he can continue to develop with the five-time German champions.
"It was always our plan to carefully build up Timo and give him time to develop," Bobic said.
"He has exceptional assets and possesses the great strengths of speed and an instinct for goals.
"Timo is a young professional and is doing very well in his first Bundesliga year. We want to provide him with the best possible support along his way and we firmly believe that we will have many years of enjoyment with him in the team."
Sami Hyypia insists that Bayer Leverkusen can emerge from their dismal run of form stronger.
After leading the challenge to topple Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga in the first half of the season, Leverkusen have only won twice in their last eight league matches, a run that leaves them 22 points behind the defending champions.
Hyypia has watched his side lose their last five games in all competitions and he received a vote of confidence from the club's board earlier this week.
Rather than focus on the negatives of their recent form slump, the Finn is hoping to use it in a positive way to make him and Leverkusen stronger for the rest of the campaign.
"This is a good challenge for us to show we are strong," the 40-year-old said.
"My coaching career has not been very long and this is the first time that I'm stuck in such a situation.
"Of course I've asked many people for advice as to what I can do.
"I want to develop myself and without this situation that development would progress slower."
After conceding 11 goals in their last two games, Schalke head coach Jens Keller is keen to move on, starting with a win over Hoffenheim.
Schalke conceded six against Real Madrid in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie before losing 5-1 to Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich last Saturday.
Keller has urged his players to forget about the past, learn from their mistakes and start looking forward.
Hoffenheim travel to the Veltins Arena this weekend and victory for Schalke could see them rise above Bayer Leverkusen into third.
"We have to banish the negative thoughts from our head," Keller said on Friday. "After the Munich game we went over the mistakes in great detail.
"I've spent a lot of time talking to the younger players and pinpointed their strengths.
"We have to look forward now and give the right response against Hoffenheim."
Midfielder Roman Neustadter echoed Keller's comments and acknowledged the heavy defeats exposed some of the weak spots in Schalke's squad.
"We messed up as a team," he admitted. "Both sides (Bayern Munich and Real Madrid) exposed our limitations.
"There's still a chasm between the world-class teams and us.
"We know how to interpret the results, but we also know what we did wrong.
"We have to draw a line under the games and learn from them."
Bundesliga Preview: Wolfsburg next for bullocking Bayern
6 March 2014
Bayern Munich's canter towards the Bundesliga title takes them to Wolfsburg on Saturday, while Hannover host Bayer Leverkusen.
Pep Guardiola's side are 20 points clear atop the league table with 15 matches to play, having won 21 of 23 fixtures this season in a dominant performance.
Wolfsburg sit fifth in the table, just two points outside of a UEFA Champions League spot, however, they would be concerned at shipping six goals to mid-table Hoffenheim at their last start ahead of a date with the ever-strong Bayern.
Leverkusen are third in the table, 22 points behind Bayern, but have severe concerns after dropping their past three matches ahead of their trip to Hannover.
Sami Hyypia's men have the chance to steady their form, though, as Hannover are winless in four, including three losses.
Schalke, fourth, host the in-form Hoffenheim on Saturday, which should prove to be an entertaining contest.
Despite their standing in 10th, Hoffenheim have been one of the most aggressive sides in the league, scoring 52 goals - the third highest tally in the German top flight.
In their past five matches, Markus Gridol's men have scored 16 goals, and will further test the defence of Schalke, who had five put past them last time out against Bayern.
In other Saturday fixtures, Borussia Monchengladbach host Augsburg, while Stuttgart - on a seven-match losing streak - are at home to bottom club Eintracht Braunschweig and Hamburg welcome Eintracht Frankfurt.
The late kick-off sees Nuremburg at home to Werder Bremen.
On Sunday, second side Borussia Dortmund travel to relegation-placed Freiburg.
Dortmund, who bounced back from a 3-0 loss to Hamburg by beating Nuremburg by the same margin last week, have beaten Freiburg seven times in a row, averaging over 3.5 goals in that run.
Later on Sunday, Hertha Berlin - who remain well in the race for European honours in their promotion season - are away at Mainz.
Hertha sit two points behind the sixth-placed Mainz, and a win could catapult Jos Luhukay's men into a Europa League spot.
Peerless Bayern Munich are unlikely to be daunted by the prospect of a trip to fifth-placed Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola's men - now 48 matches unbeaten in the league - currently sit 20 points clear at the top of the German top flight having won 21 of their 23 matches this season, but Wolfsburg have the potential to provide tricky opposition.
Dieter Hecking has put his side in contention for a UEFA Champions League spot, sitting just six points adrift of second-placed Borussia Dortmund.
However, last weekend's shock 6-2 defeat at mid-table Hoffenheim halted Wolfsburg in their tracks after a run of four consecutive wins in all competitions.
Thomas Muller netted a 63rd-minute winner when these sides met in Munich in September and Wolfsburg have not managed to beat the European champions since claiming a 5-1 win in April 2009.
Wolfsburg have only managed to find the net on three occasions in nine subsequent league meetings with Bayern, failing to score in the last five.
Bayern have routinely steamrollered their opponents in recent weeks and have won four of their last five league matches by at least a four-goal margin, beating Schalke 5-1 last Saturday.
The leaders are averaging almost three goals a match in the Bundesliga in 2013-14, while conceding just 10 times in 23 games in return, but Wolfsburg striker Bas Dost insisted his side would not just be another Bayern statistic.
"For me, a home game against Bayern is the game of the year," he told the club's official website. "We need to show just what we are capable of.
"We are not just going into that game to sit back and watch how good the opponents are.
"Why must we lose against Bayern Munich? We are Wolfsburg, we are playing at home.
"Bayern are strong, but we have our own qualities too and we have proven that often enough."
Bayern will be without the services of Muller (hamstring), who settled this fixture last time around, while Jan Polak could be in line for a return after three months on the sidelines with an ankle problem.
Christian Trasch serves the first of a two-game suspension for Wolfsburg after being sent off against Hoffenheim.
Leverkusen's Stefan Kiessling, left, and Mainz's Nikolce Noveski of Macedonia challenge for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and FSV Mainz 05 in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, March 1, 2014. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
BERLIN: The Bundesliga is all but decided. Bayern Munich, who visit Wolfsburg Saturday, are playing in a league of their own with Borussia Dortmund 20 points off the pace.
Eight teams are fighting against relegation, with three six-pointers taking place Saturday between Stuttgart and Eintracht Braunschweig, Hamburger SV and Eintracht Frankfurt, and Nuremberg and Werder Bremen.
Dortmund will visit relegation candidates Freiburg Sunday.
Here are four things to know about this weekend’s matches:
HAMBURG HEX Hamburg coach Mirko Slomka is struggling to get 11 players together for his side’s clash with Eintracht Frankfurt Saturday.
The club’s injury worries were exacerbated by the international break. Defender Marcell Jansen has been ruled out for several weeks after tearing a ligament in his left ankle in Germany’s 1-0 win over Chile, while striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga returned from his first national call-up before Wednesday’s game with muscle problems.
Slomka also has injury concerns over Rafael van der Vaart (flu), Milan Badelj (broken hand), Hakan Calhanoglu, Petr Jiracek and Ivo Ilicevic (all thigh strains), Lasse Sobiech (concussion) and Lam Zhi Gin (groin problems). Replacement goalkeeper Jaroslav Drobny and midfielder Kerem Demirbay have not yet recovered from hamstring injuries. Maximilian Beister and Slobodan Rajkovic are both ruled out to the end of the season with cruciate ligament injuries.
Hamburg snapped their seven-game losing streak with a 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in Slomka’s debut but lost the northern derby to Werder Bremen last weekend and remain in the relegation playoff place.
“It’s about pure survival,” Hamburg goalkeeper Rene Adler said. “In the coming two home games, we must mix aggression with playing football again.”
LAST CHANCE Thomas Schneider has one game to save his job.
His Stuttgart side have lost eight in a row and another defeat against Eintracht Braunschweig would see the bottom side draw level.
Stuttgart’s board of management decided to stick with the 41-year-old Schneider Tuesday.
“The advisory committee is 100 percent behind this decision,” Stuttgart president Bernd Wahler said, despite media reports suggesting Thorsten Fink, Zvonimir Soldo, Krasimir Balakov, Ralf Rangnick and Huub Stevens were all being considered as possible replacements.
Braunschweig’s lowest point in the season came in the 4-0 home loss to Stuttgart in September, but the promoted side has recovered from the worst-ever start to a Bundesliga season and still believe they can avoid the drop.
“It did look a lot worse,” said Braunschweig coach Torsten Lieberknecht, who recently extended his contract to 2017. “ Stuttgart as a direct rival [for relegation] – for it to have come so far was unthinkable after the reverse fixture.”
LEVERKUSEN ALARM Bayer Leverkusen are in free fall after five successive defeats across all competitions and relinquished second place to Dortmund by losing 1-0 at home to Mainz last week.
“There’s a big concern that we’ll miss all our targets,” Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voeller said after his side’s eighth loss in 10 games.
Leverkusen coach Sami Hyypia has been unable to halt the team’s slide after an embarrassing German Cup exit to second-division club Kaiserslautern and a 4-0 home defeat to Paris St. Germain in the Champions League.
The Finn will need to adjust at Hannover Saturday with midfielder Stefan Reinartz and Omer Toprak both suspended.
BAYERN SUPREME The title is just a matter of time for Bayern, who are on a record 15-game winning run and unbeaten in a record 48 games.
“Of course we’re going to be champions,” Bayern midfielder Toni Kroos said.
Bayern’s 20-point lead over Dortmund after 23 games is also a Bundesliga record. Kroos told Munich newspaper TZ that Bayern was effectively using the Bundesliga to stay sharp for the Champions League.
“We still want to take each game seriously so we don’t get into any rut with a view to the Champions League. Indeed it’s difficult to flip the switch again,” Kroos said.
Wolfsburg is trying to recover after last Sunday’s 6-2 rout at Hoffenheim. Midfielder Christian Traesch was sent off, and Luiz Gustavo also picked up a suspension, ruling the Brazilian out against his former club.
“We’re not going into the game to wait and see how good the opponent is,” Wolfsburg striker Bas Dost said. “Why do you necessarily have to lose against Bayern Munich?
“We’re Wolfsburg. We’re playing at home. Bayern are strong, but we also have our qualities.”
Freiburg will need to arrest a pitiful run of results against Borussia Dortmund if they are to boost their hopes of avoiding the drop.
Christian Streich's men are in danger of being relegated from the Bundesliga, sitting one place off the bottom but level on points with Hamburg and Stuttgart above them.
Sunday's match will hold little cause for optimism, with the hosts having lost the last seven matches against Dortmund.
Indeed, Freiburg have not beaten Dortmund in the top flight since 2001, and not in a home league match since 1993.
The reverse fixture this season ended 5-0 to Jurgen Klopp's side, who have picked up maximum points from their last three visits to the Mage Solar Stadion.
The visitors and can take a big step towards securing qualification for the UEFA Champions League with a win this weekend.
Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke beneath them have both faltered in recent weeks and, with leaders Bayern Munich proving irresistible this season, Dortmund are realistically playing for second place.
If they are to keep any sort of pressure on Bayern above and the chasing pack behind them on Sunday, they will likely need to do so without leading goalscorer Robert Lewandowski.
The Poland international, who leads the Bundesliga scoring charts with 15 goals, has a knee problem and Klopp admitted on Friday that it would be a "gamble" to play him.
His probable absence will be met with relief in the Freiburg ranks, as the Bayern-bound forward has 10 goals in the last seven meetings between Dortmund and Freiburg.
Dortmund will be buoyed by the dismal home record Freiburg have this season - picking up just 10 points from 11 games on home soil - while Klopp's men have the second best away record in the division.
The visitors can add to the 20 points they have picked up on the road this season as Freiburg target a first home clean sheet of the Bundesliga campaign.
Streich has lost Vaclav Pilar (knee) and Sebastian Freis (abdominal muscle) to injuries this week.
The Bavarians have already secured the future of Robert Lewandowski and are set to add Sebastian Rode, but the Spaniard is not expecting much transfer activity
Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola says that he is only planning minor changes to his team this summer.
The German champions are set to sign Robert Lewandowski on a free transfer from Borussia Dortmund at the season's end and are likely to add Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Sebastian Rode.
However, the former Barcelona coach says the core of his XI will remain the same at the end of the summer transfer window.
"I think the basis of the team will be more or less the same," he told reporters.
"There will be just a few additions."
Bayern face Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga this weekend and Guardiola says the vast majority of his players are fit to take on Dieter Hecking's men, whom he is refusing to underestimate, despite their 6-2 loss to Hoffenheim last week.
"All the players are fit whenever the Champions League is coming," he joked. "It's the case in other big clubs. I don't know why.
"Wolfsburg are one of the big teams in the league. They are a dangerous opponent, despite their 6-2 defeat last week.
"They have some very good players. It won't be easy. It will be a big challenge, and we can take another step towards defending the title."
Bundesliga Wrap: Augsburg win again, Schalke move level with Leverkusen
9 March 2014
Augsburg maintained their impressive form in the second half of the Bundesliga season with a 2-1 win over Borussia Monchengladbach.
Since returning from the mid-season break, Augsburg have won four out of seven league matches and Saturday's success ensured they now boast just one defeat from 12 games.
Goals from Halil Altintop and Tobias Werner were enough to secure three points this time around, although Markus Weinzierl's men had to come from behind after Raffael had given Monchengladbach an early lead.
Victory sees Augsburg climb up to sixth place in the Bundesliga table and only seven points behind second-placed Borussia Dortmund.
Schalke put their disastrous recent form behind them with a convincing 4-0 win over Hoffenheim, a triumph that moves them level on points with Bayer Leverkusen in third.
Having conceded a total of 11 goals in defeats to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, Schalke needed to bounce back and a hat-trick from Klaas-Jan Huntelaar helped secure a return to winning ways.
Leverkusen brought an end to their own poor run of three straight defeats, but had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Hannover.
Gonzalo Castro's third goal of the season put Leverkusen ahead in the 28th minute, before Artoms Rudnevs swiftly levelled for the hosts.
Bayern Munich's dominance of the division continues, after the champions recovered from conceding first for only the second time this season against Wolfsburg to record a 16th straight league victory.
Naldo gave Wolfsburg the lead in the 17th minute, but that only served to spark Bayern into life.
After Xherdan Shaqiri had levelled the scores, Bayern scored five goals in the space of 17 second-half minutes to run out 6-1 winners.
Thomas Muller and Mario Mandzukic both scored twice, while Franck Ribery marked his return to fitness with his eighth goal of the season.
Werder Bremen made it back-to-back victories for only the second time this season as Franco Di Santo and Philipp Bargfrede secured a 2-0 win at Nuremberg.
The game featured a remarkable display of honesty from Bremen attacking midfielder Aaron Hunt.
Referee Manuel Grafe awarded the visitors a penalty after deeming Javier Pinola had fouled Hunt inside the area, only for the latter to get up and insist the official overturned the decision as he had not been touched and had in fact tripped.
Stuttgart remain in trouble after a late Ermin Bicakcic strike earned fellow strugglers Eintracht Braunschweig a 2-2 draw.
The side just below Stuttgart, in 16th, are Hamburg, who came from behind to claim a 1-1 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt.
Bundesliga Wrap: Dortmund edge Freiburg, Mainz rescue point
10 March 2014
Sebastian Kehl's long-ranger helped Borussia Dortmund beat Freiburg, while Mainz missed a chance to go fifth in the Bundesliga on Sunday.
The Dortmund captain struck in style just before the hour mark to seal a 1-0 win and move Jurgen Klopp's side four points clear of third-placed Bayer Leverkusen, who could only draw at Hannover on Saturday.
Kehl instinctively shot after Kevin Grosskreutz fed the ball into his path, with the 25-yard effort curling over Freiburg goalkeeper Oliver Baumann and into the back of the net.
The midfielder's first goal in any competition since April 2012 secured the three points for Dortmund, but they were made to work hard by the relegation-threatened hosts.
Christian Streich's side felt Dortmund defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos should have been sent off for bringing down the impressive Philipp Zulechner on the stroke of half-time.
Hampered by the absence of Robert Lewandowski (knee) and Marco Reus (foot), Dortmund started slowly in a tame first half.
Sokratis' challenge on Zulechner was the talking point of the first half, but the defender was only given a yellow card despite being the last man in defence.
Kehl produced his moment of magic in the 58th minute and although Freiburg battled hard for an equaliser, they lacked the cutting edge to hurt their opponents, despite playing well, as they remained in the bottom two of the Bundesliga.
Sunday's other fixture saw Mainz come from behind to claim a 1-1 home draw against Hertha Berlin as they failed to move into a UEFA Europa League spot.
Adrian Ramos put the capital club into the lead, continuing his excellent season with his 15th league goal in the 51st minute.
Cameroon attacker Maxim Choupo-Moting levelled proceedings with 25 minutes left though, and his penalty ensured both sides would share the spoils.
The draw leaves Mainz on 38 points, level with sixth-placed Augsburg, whom they trail on goal difference, and one adrift of Wolfsburg.
