Weekend Briefing: team news and manager analysis

Injury briefing

Borussia Dortmund's double blow

Borussia Dortmund take on Bayern Munich in a potential title-decider at the Allianz Arena on Saturday but they will go into the match with a weakened defence after Achraf Hakimi and Abdou Diallo suffered injuries last weekend.

There were celebrations from Dortmund supporters after they returned to the top of the table with a 2-0 success at home to Wolfsburg.

But it came at a cost with Hakimi sustaining a broken metatarsal, ruling him out for rest of the season, and Diallo suffering a muscle strain.

Alternative full-back options are thin on the ground with Lukasz Piszczek (heel) having missed the last two months.

And the crisis may require a recall for veteran left-back Marcel Schmelzer, who hasn't started a game since December.

Fernando Forestieri facing FA rap

Injuries and a three-match suspension have restricted Sheffield Wednesday attacker Fernando Forestieri to just 19 league appearances this season and he may not have much more of a role to play after the FA reopened an investigation into his behaviour during a pre-season friendly last summer.

Forestieri was found not guilty of racially aggravated harassment at Mansfield Magistrates' Court last week, but the FA are now looking into the matter and if they rule against the 29-year-old, he faces a minimum punishment of a fine and a five-game suspension.

Wednesday have climbed to the fringes of the Sky Bet Championship playoffs but injuries have been mounting and they received another setback when on-loan Newcastle winger Rolando Aarons rolled an ankle during the warm-up before Saturday's 0-0 draw at Stoke.

Peterborough players on the mend

Peterborough have seen their Sky Bet League One playoff rivals Doncaster win twice since they played their last match but their two-week break has allowed three of their injured players to close in on full fitness.

Defenders Josh Knight (ankle) and Rhys Bennett (groin) played for the Under-23s at home to Plymouth on Tuesday. The match also allowed winger Siriki Dembele (ankle) to top up his match fitness as he eyes a first start in two months.

Dembele came off the bench as Peterborough won 2-0 at home to Southend and looks the most likely of the three to feature at home to Gillingham.

Plymouth woe on injury front

Plymouth suffered physical and mental pain at Blackpool on Saturday, losing two points to an injury-time equaliser and two players, Joe Riley and Antoni Sarcevic, to injuries.

Argyle drew 2-2 at Bloomfield Road having led 2-0 with 83 minutes expired. Manager Derek Adams was left feeling doubly frustrated after right-back Riley (broken arm) and influential midfielder Sarcevic (foot) failed to finish the game.

Sarcevic will need to be assessed in the build-up to their home clash with Charlton but the season is over for Riley, who will likely be replaced by Oscar Threlkeld.

Danny Mayor ban shakes the Shakers

Bury attacker Danny Mayor has been one of the outstanding players in Sky Bet League One this season but he lost his cool during last Saturday's 3-1 loss at home to Swindon and picked up a red card which may prove to be a defining moment in the Shakers' season.

Mayor's three-game ban started on Tuesday and the 28-year-old was badly missed as Bury suffered a dreadful 3-0 loss at home to struggling Cambridge.

Just hours before kick-off Bury released a statement admitting that player and staff wages for March had not been paid on time and judging by the performance the off-field problems are already having a detrimental impact.

Problems are piling up for Bury manager Ryan Lowe who lost defender Will Aimson to an unspecified injury in the 33rd minute.

Bury are still in the automatic promotion places but the chasing pack have been given all the encouragement they need.

Gaffer tracker

Brian Barry-Murphy - Rochdale

Rochdale took a difficult decision last month by replacing Keith Hill with Brian Barry-Murphy but they may be proved right by the end of the season.

Hill has done a great job in two separate spells at Spotland but, at times this season, his message has not been getting across to the players.

Barry-Murphy has taken on a tough situation but has given Dale hope by steering them to two wins and two draws.

He has impressed the Rochdale hierarchy enough to earn a two-year-deal and looks the right man to lead them forward, whichever division they are in next season.

Kevin Bond - Southend

Chris Powell can count himself unlucky to have lost his job at Southend and it is unlikely that his replacement, Kevin Bond, will be able to save the club from relegation.

Southend have been hampered by several injuries for large parts of the season and have been in freefall over the last couple of months, taking four points from their last 12 matches.

Bond inherits an injury-ravaged squad heavily reliant on academy players and will find it hard to gather the points required.

He has spent most of his career working as an assistant to Harry Redknapp and has taken on a tough job.

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