Borussia Dortmund's Mario Gotze has been ruled out of Tuesday night's Champions League last 16 first leg at Benfica.
The former Bayern midfielder has struggled to make an impact since returning to BVB, not helped by a number of niggling injuries.
He has returned to training, but manager Thomas Tuchel revealed that the trip to Portugal has come too soon for Gotze.
Mario Gotze will miss Borussia Dortmund's #UCL last 16, 1st leg tie at Benfica tomorrow due to a leg injury #SSFootball
"He most recently had adductor problems," Tuchel said at his pre-match media conference - viaFourFourTwo."He had one training session but unfortunately it is not enough for him to help us in this game.
"It will be a big task for us against a very proud club. I am really looking forward to it. Benfica can be very fluent in attack while staying compact in defence.
"I do not think there is a favourite and we cannot make comparisons to the group matches against Sporting. I trust us to put in a good performance “ we have often done so in the Champions League."
Tuchel also claimed that Dortmund's recent punishment fromthe German Football Association for crowd trouble against RB Leipzig would have no adverse effect on their Champions League tie.
"It is often quietest in the middle of the storm," he added."We accept the collective punishment, but it hurts and it affects many innocent fans. The Yellow Wall is unique, with 25,000 people. It is a monument of world football."
Dortmund lost to Darmstadtin the league last weekend, falling to a surprise 2-1 defeat against the Bundesliga strugglers.