Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund could be set to unleash new signing Jobe Bellingham on Mamemlodi Sundowns on Saturday evening.
Dortmund will be looking to claim their first win at the FIFA Club World Cup at the expense of the South African champions.
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Bellingham made his Dortmund debut off the bench against Fluminense on Tuesday, but Kovac admitted he could be ready for his first start.
“In terms of his fitness, he's definitely one. We've only had him with us for a while now, which means he'll need a bit more time, I think," Kovac told reporters, as per the club's official website.
"But if I were to bring him on tomorrow, I wouldn't have any stomach ache, on the contrary.
"But of course we already have a lot of good midfielders and a lot of good people, so I'll leave that open for tomorrow.”
Kovac also spoke about the way Sundowns expect to play and sent a warning to his own players.
“Sundowns are a team that has dominated everything in South Africa in recent years and lost the Champions League final in Africa a few weeks ago," he added.
"A team that wants to play attractive football. For us, that means we have to prevent that and need possession. It's going to be bloody hot tomorrow.
"And when the sun shines in from the south at 12 noon, you have to make sure you have a lot of possession. Because if you're chasing the music, it's going to cost you unnecessary energy.”
