Tuchel 'not a fan' of January signings

Borussia Dortmund are challenging for trophies on
three fronts, but Thomas Tuchel says he is not looking
to sign players next month.

Thomas Tuchel says he is unlikely to make many moves in the
January transfer window unless Borussia Dortmund players ask
to leave.

Dortmund have enjoyed a strong first half of the campaign and
sit just five points behind Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich
ahead of Saturdays's trip to take on Cologne.

The club's DFB-Pokal and Europa League commitments are set
to intensify after the mid-season break, but Tuchel insists he will
not be forced into making signings simply to bolster the size of
his squad.

"Of course, we feel very comfortable with the number of players
we have, we are fortunate that we have very few new injuries,"
he said on Friday.

"I'm not a fan of winter transfers. The team shows every day
how hard they work and what achievements they are capable
of.

"I'm not naive, I know some players are less satisfied with their
role, so I can't rule anything out. I wouldn't mind if we started
the second half with completely the same selection."

Looking ahead to Saturday's encounter with Cologne, Tuchel
revealed both Marco Reus and Sven Bender will be forced to sit
out.

"Reus is doing quite well. He's much better but it won't be
possible for him to play on Sunday," he said.

"Sven Bender is questionable because we have to wait for the
diagnosis."

He added of Peter Stoger's side: "It's very difficult to score
goals against them. They have a very high success rate in their
defensive battles and are dangerous on the counter.

"We expect a loud stadium, an enthusiastic crowd, but that's
good. It's great fun to play in this stadium."