Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel has leaped to the defence of Mario Gotze and claimed that criticism of the attacker's performances is unfair.

Gotze returned to Dortmund in July after a disappointing three-year spell with Bayern Munich, although he has not yet made his second debut for the Black and Yellows.

The 24-year-old was in action for Germany during the recent international break, but his performances in the fixtures against Finland and Norway drew criticism from a number of areas.

"Mario will definitely be there for the game against Leipzig and is an option for the starting XI. We have noticed how much Mario is talked about and how everything he does is watched through a magnifying glass," Tuchel told reporters.

"One can imagine that attitude is not always benefiting the player. No-one can imagine how he feels under all this. How would you feel if someone is always looking at what you are doing and keeps asking you at how much per cent you are? I think the criticism went too far. Boundaries have been crossed."

Dortmund will return to Bundesliga action with a trip to RB Leipzig on Saturday afternoon.