Borussia Dortmund handed fitness boost v Newcastle United as former Man Utd man spotted at St James’ Park

Sabitzer, who spent the second half of the 2022-23 season on loan at Manchester United, hasn’t started a match for Dortmund since mid September due to a groin issue. The 29-year-old made his return from injury off the bench in the closing stages of the 1-0 Bundesliga win against Werder Bremen over the weekend.

And the midfielder was spotted training with the Dortmund squad at St James’ Park on Tuesday evening ahead of the Champions League group stage match against Newcastle.

Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic confirmed that Sabitzer - whose previous visit to St James’ Park ended in a 2-0 defeat for Man United - is ‘ready’ to be involved on Wednesday.

“The good thing with Marcel is that he has no pain at the moment,” he said during his pre-match press conference. “He’s taken part in full training and has come back and had no reaction from the injury.

“He’s played the last game so he is ready to play another game now. Obviously, the line-up I will explain to my team first.”

Dortmund confirmed ahead of the trip to Tyneside that full-back Julian Ryerson has remained in Germany due to illness while Youssoufa Moukoko is another notable absence for the Bundesliga side.

Newcastle will be without Sven Botman, Lewis Miley, Harvey Barnes, Matt Ritchie, Mark Gillespie, Javier Manquillo and Emil Krafth for the match but Joe Willock has a chance of making the bench after five months out.