Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels says that his side’s form in the opening half of the season has been “pathetic”.
Jurgen Klopp’s side sit joint-bottom of the Bundesliga going into the winter break following Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Werder Bremen, despite their impressive Champions League form.
Hummels, who was appointed captain in the summer, believes that injuries to key players, including himself and Marco Reus, have contributed to their slump and says there is no guarantee that things will improve.
“It’s pretty astonishing that we are so pathetic,” he told reporters.
“There is no guarantee that it will get better. There just isn’t. Almost every key player was injured in the first round [of the season].
“We have played as badly as imaginable. We’re very concerned. The way we’re playing, we’re right down there.
“If we have all the strongest players back by the end of January, then it will be different. But there’s no guarantee of that.
“Three or four important players could get injured. Then we’ll have to deal with it differently from in the first round.”