Borussia Dortmund have dropped star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from their squad to play Stuttgart today for “disciplinary reasons”, the club announced. The Gabonese forward is the club’s top marksman with ten Bundesliga goals so far, but he has failed to score in the past three games with Dortmund in a slump.
“For disciplinary reasons Aubameyang will not feature in the team for tomorrow’s game,” Dortmund said on the club’s Twitter account. The club made no mention of the nature of Aubameyang’s indiscipline. After three defeats and a draw, Dortmund have seen their five-point lead atop the Bundesliga turn into a six-point deficit to bitter rivals Bayern Munich.

CAS rejects Silva’s appeal
to play for Leicester now
The Court for Arbitration in Sport (CAS) yesterday rejected an application for urgent provisional measures by Portuguese midfielder Adrien Silva to allow him to play for Leicester City. The court could still rule in the player’s favour, but did not agree to allow the English Football Association to register him while it contemplates FIFA’s refusal to approve Silva’s transfer from Portugal.
At the end of summer transfer window, the governing body of world football refused to register Silva’s move to Leicester saying the documentation arrived 14 seconds after the deadline at 1am, in Portugal and the UK, on September 1. That meant Silva, who is 28, would not be able to play for his new club until the English transfer window opens again on January 1. In early October, FIFA rejected an appeal through the English Football Association.
Leicester decided not to pursue the matter, but Silva lodged an appeal with CAS in Lausanne and also sought a speedy interim order that might allow him to play. That request was turned down yesterday. CAS did not say when it would make a final ruling.

Syrian coach Hakim resigns after World Cup defeat
Syria coach Ayman al-Hakim yesterday resigned after the head of the federation criticised his performance, after the team failed to qualify for its first ever World Cup. Syria’s hopes to qualify in the Asian playoffs in October for a spot in the 2018 World Cup were dashed during extra time against Australia.
The Syrian football federation did not immediately accept Hakim’s resignation but is due to issue a statement in the next few days, a federation official said. Hakim also underscored the “difficult circumstances” that the team faced, in an apparent reference to the six-year war that has wracked Syria.
Yesterday, federation president Ramadan said he had asked Hakim to step down and pave the way for the federation to strike a new contract with a foreign coach. Hakim told AFP he would await a final decision from the federation, which is expected to meet next week.

Man City’s Aguero good
to go after dizzy spell
Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has declared himself fit for tomorrow’s trip to Leicester City after suffering a dizzy spell while on international duty with Argentina. Aguero was substituted at half-time of Argentina’s 4-2 friendly defeat against Nigeria in the Russian city of Krasnodar on Tuesday.
City dismissed initial reports he had fainted, saying he had merely felt dizzy, and after undergoing tests in Manchester, the 29-year-old said he was ready for action. “All the tests they run on me — just for caution — turn out well, so I’m set to go for Saturday’s match. C’mon, City!!” Aguero wrote on his Twitter account. Aguero has scored 10 goals in 12 appearances for Premier League leaders City this season.