Dortmund denied services of Kagawa

Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund will be without Shinji Kagawa for the rest of the season after the Japanese international midfielder broke a bone in his right foot at the AFC Asian Cup on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old sustained the injury during the semi-final against Korea Republic, which Japan eventually won on penalties. "The scan is a bit blurred but you can clearly see a fracture of the metatarsal," said Dortmund coach Jürgen Klopp. "While there are different versions of injury, I don't know of any case where the player was back in less than three months."

Kagawa has proved a revelation since arriving in the summer from Cerezo Osaka, scoring eight goals in 17 league appearances and two in six UEFA Europa League group games. Dortmund, however, have no plans to bring in a replacement. "We have toyed with the idea but have agreed not to sign a new player," said sporting director Michael Zorc. "We can compensate for this within our existing squad."