Jobe Bellingham, named as a substitute in B. Dortmund's last two matches, hopes to regain his starting place for the visit of Wolfsburg. The English player is a talking point after the incident involving his parents and Niko Kovac following the match against St. Pauli.
Borussia Dortmund, fresh from securing a valuable point in their Champions League opener against Juventus on Tuesday, return to Bundesliga action. The German side host Wolfsburg at Signal Iduna Park, in a match where Jobe Bellingham could reclaim his spot in the starting XI.
The young Brit has been relegated to the bench for the past two games, prompting much debate about his form. The midfielder, who offered glimpses of his potential at the Club World Cup, has struggled to find his feet this season – having cost €30 million – and Niko Kovac has urged patience.
"We can't expect a player to master everything in just two months. It's a process. Young players often need up to six months. We shouldn't put him under pressure. You're not doing him any favours, and Jobe Bellingham isn't doing himself any favours either," the manager stated.
If there were already murmurs about Jobe Bellingham's performances, the noise intensified following the episode involving the former Sunderland player's parents and the coach. The incident reportedly occurred after the match against St. Pauli, according to 'Sky Sport Alemania'. The Bellinghams allegedly went to the team's dressing room to confront Kovac, who had substituted their son at half-time after a poor first-half showing.
Mark Bellingham allegedly took exception to the decision and demanded answers, but was escorted away by security before he could reach Kovac. He did, however, manage to speak to Sebastian Kehl, the sporting director, and was visibly angry about the situation. Since then, the Stourbridge native played 71 minutes in the victory against Union Berlin and then remained on the bench against Heidenheim (24') and Juventus (19').