Why Marco Reus Will Be the Borussia Dortmund Player to Watch in 2016

In many ways, Marco Reus is one of the most unlucky players in German football. Since his arrival from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2012, his Borussia Dortmund side have been close to trophies, but they've eluded them each time, with the Black and Yellows losing no fewer than three finals in the Champions League and the DFB-Pokal.

Had Reus joined Dortmund when his move back to his boyhood club was announced in January of 2012, via ESPN FC, he would've been part of a double-winning team. Close, but no cigar.

With his team looking a strong contender for both the UEFA Europa League and the cup, and Germany a natural favourite for the Euros in France, 2016 will be a year with plenty of opportunity for Dortmund's No. 11 to finally get over the hump.

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The 26-year-old was destined to  win silverware in 2014 with Germany's national team, but an injured ankle suffered in the last test match before the team departed for Brazil against Armenia kept him out of the World Cup. Reus had been in the form of his life and looked like Germany's biggest threat before the incident. 

Since that fateful day, injuries have been a constant problem for Dortmund's superstar. Bleacher Report's Daniel Tiluk noted on the subject of his woes: 

"

Alaskan king-crab fishermen are thought to have Earth's most dangerous job, but give them Borussia Dortmund's No. 11 shirt and statisticians might revise their thinking. Unquestionably a talented footballer with high—if not unlimited—ceilings, Marco Reus' body has transformed into the Bundesliga's best defender and his own worst enemy.

"

Who knows how much the Dortmund-born winger would've helped in preventing the ill-fated first half of the 2014/15 season from happening had he not missed 10 of the 17 matches with two more ankle ailments, according to Transfermarkt?

BVB won just two of those 10 games without their star midfielder and found themselves in a relegation spot over the winter break.

This season so far, Reus has missed eight of Dortmund's 30 matches across all competitions. And while they've done far better without him this season compared to last, winning six of those games, Dortmund need Reus if they are to achieve anything in 2016.

The constant stop-and-go has led to Reus' form sputtering over the course of the last one-and-a-half seasons. His statistics might not indicate it, as he's scored 23 and assisted nine in 50 competitive games in that time, but Reus has trouble getting up to speed after breaks from action.

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That much was evident when head coach Thomas Tuchel decided to bench his No. 11 for arguably the biggest game of Dortmund's season so far: the meeting with Bayern Munich early in October. That his benching wasn't a surprise at the time—B/R's Mark Jones predicted the decision before the game at Allianz Arena—was telling.

In the lead-up to that game, Reus had given three poor performances in a row after returning from a toe injury, which prompted Jones to call him "something of an unlucky charm."

The fact of the matter is that the team has to carry Reus when he comes back from injuries, when Reus should be the player his team-mates look up to: Not only is he the biggest name, he's also a deputy captain.

That's not to say he's not been a big factor for Dortmund's strong first half of the season under Tuchel, however. Especially since the 42-year-old moved to a 4-3-3 system towards the end of October, Reus has done very well.

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Under Tuchel, he has less responsibility and more freedom on the pitch. A bigger focus on possession has led to a less exhaustive playing style, allowing Reus to keep concentrated on what he does best: getting into dangerous areas and punishing defences that give him too much space.

At 26 years of age, the winger is entering the pinnacle of his career as a footballer. As Jones noted, however, "injury curses have a habit of striking at the worst-possible time and cutting down players in their prime."

In 2016, Reus has to overcome his injury woes and become the player he's capable of being. Only then can he lead Dortmund to glory and finally win a big trophy.

Lars is a featured columnist writing on Borussia Dortmund. He also writes for Yellowwallpod.com. You can follow him on Twitter.