Sahin's return gives Dortmund options: Klopp

BERLIN - Agence France-Presse

Dortmund's Nuri Sahin (L) and Mainz player Shawn Parker vie for the ball during the soccer friendly match between Borussia Dormund and Mainz 05 in Duesseldorf, Germany, 13 January 2013. EPA photo

Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp has explained why he is happy to have Turkey midfielder Nuri Sahin return on loan to the German champions after spells with Real Madrid and Liverpool.
 
Having left Dortmund in May 2011 after winning the Bundesliga title, Sahin, 24, joined Real, but made just a handful of Spanish league appearances in his first season in Madrid.
 
After spending the first half of this season on a disappointing loan spell at Liverpool, the defensive midfielder rejoined Dortmund on Friday.
 
The Bundesliga resumes this weekend after the winter break with Werder Bremen hosting Dortmund, who have signed Sahin on loan from Real for 18 months, with an option to buy him for six million euros (US$8m), according to reports.
 
Sahin made his first appearance in a Dortmund shirt since April 2011 on Sunday when Borussia beat Mainz 4-3 on penalties in the final of Dusseldorf's Winter Cup, a warm-up event for the second half of the German season.
 
Competition is fierce for Dortmund's two defensive midfield positions with captain Sebastian Kehl, Germany's Ilkay Gundogan, Sven Bender, plus Moritz Leitner all vying, but Klopp said he is delighted to welcome Sahin back.
 
"Nuri is an absolutely quality player who gives us lots more options," Klopp told German daily Die Welt.
 
"Besides, we shouldn't forget that we have had injury problems this season with both Kehl and Bender.
 
"It's not the case that these players can only play in one position.
 
"We hope that along with the Bundesliga, we will have matches in the German Cup and Champions League. So for all these games, we need more good players." Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich, who host bottom side Gruether Fuerth on Saturday at the Allianz Arena, are nine points clear at the top of the table, 12 ahead of third-placed Dortmund.
 
Dortmund have won the Bundesliga title for the last two years, but Klopp says this season's title is Bayern's to lose.
 
"We have wound up Bayern for the last two seasons, they have brought in a new director of sport (Matthias Sammer) and after some exceptional transfer activity, they started the season with incredible quality in their squad.
 
"We have tightened their bow for the last two seasons, now all they have to do is shoot the arrows."