Borussia Dortmund have dropped striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for disciplinary reasons for a third time.
Aubameyang, 28, has scored 13 goals in 15 Bundesliga appearances this season, but was absent when the teams were announced for their home game against Wolfsburg on Sunday as the German league restarted after the winter break.
Dortmund tweeted the news but did not explain what had happened, but Bild reported that he had missed a team briefing after Saturday’s training session.
Coach Peter Stoger confirmed this, saying: “It was an important meeting. If he does not want to be part of that, another player will be get his chance. He briefly said that he forgot it, but we all know that’s not the case.”
Aubameyang was also temporarily suspended in November, with sporting director Michael Zorc revealing that punctuality problems had led to the action. Bild reported that the striker had been repeatedly late for training, including turning up 20 minutes late for final preparations ahead of the trip to Stuttgart.
.@Aubameyang7 steht aus disziplinarischen Gründen nicht im Kader. #bvbwob pic.twitter.com/bPED0Oh20A
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) January 14, 2018
The striker was also suspended in November 2016 when he missed a 1-0 win over Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League for an unapproved trip to Milan against then-coach Thomas Tuchel’s wishes.
Aubameyang has been strongly linked with a move to Chinese Super League side Guangzhou Evergrande during the transfer window.
Dortmund handed England under-20 international Jadon Sancho a first start after his summer move from Manchester City. There was no place in the 18 for Christian Pulisic, who has a muscle injury but the club “hope he’ll be back next week.”
Stefan Buczko and Stephan Uersfeld contributed to this report
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