Borussia Dortmund's Emre Can handed two-game suspension | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund's games against Mainz in the Bundesliga have become a sort of litmus test that can act as a great indicator in terms of where the squad is in terms of performance and development. Unfortunately for Die Schwarzgelben, they've failed this test on the last four occasions. From the game that lost Dortmund the Bundesliga title, to the December re-match that followed which underlined how flat Dortmund was under then-head coach Edin Terzić in the first half of the 2023/24 season, to the two subsequent losses since, Dortmund's games against Mainz have almost become symbolic of their struggles.

In the case of this weekend's past fixture, Dortmund's 3-1 loss quite aptly highlighted an issue that Dortmund has been struggling with for some years now; the unpredictable nature of Emre Can. Made captain under Terzić, Nuri Şahin chose to continue with the German international as the leader on the pitch, which has only really worked to create an awkward situation for the young head coach. Can's struggles have made it so that the player has found himself on the bench on more than one occasion, but the armband, and now the slew of injuries Dortmund faces deem it necessary that Can feature.

Due to Can's red card after his tackle on Lee Jae-sung however, this means that he will miss two games due to suspension. It leaves an already beleaguered Dortmund even more bereft of choices and overall highlights the reckless nature of play we've seen Can commit to in the past.

Dortmund Sporting Director Sebastian Kehl noted the unnecessary nature of the tackle, which, he admits the player should have known a red card could be given:

Can has been, to this point, mostly backed by Dortmund's upper hierarchy, but it remains to be seen just what will happen going forward. His decision-making has not warranted praise from a leadership standpoint, and considering this is not the first time, some tough conversations may have to be had internally.

Luckily for Dortmund, there may be some respite in the form of Waldemar Anton being set to return from injury, which will help alleviate the gaping hole left in central defense. As for Can, he will have some time on the sidelines to reflect on what has transpired, and hopefully, he can draw the right conclusions for whenever it is that he ends up back on the pitch for Dortmund