Dortmund (Germany), Nov 21 (IANS): Bundesliga runners-up Borussia Dortmund lost Mats Hummels and Marcel Schmelzer to injuries following Germany's international friendly against England.

Both the defenders suffered injuries in the 1-0 win over England. Hummels left the match after 66 minutes while Schmelzer was replaced during half time Tuesday, reports Xinhua.

However, the news shocked the 'BVB' Wednesday as Hummels will be sidelined until January owing to an ankle ligament injury. Club doctor Markus Braun said that he expects Hummels to miss the rest of the first half of the campaign.

Schmelzer suffered a calf injury and will be out of action for at least three weeks.

The injuries of Dortmund key players came at an extremely inconvenient time for coach Juergen Klopp, whose side encounter front-runners Bayern and Napoli in a decisive UEFA Champions League match.

The BVB are currently in second position of the Bundesliga standings, four points behind leaders Bayern Munich.