Germany midfielder Sami Khedira returned to training on Sunday, a rare piece of positive injury news for Jose Mourinho's Real team who are two points ahead of Dortmund in the group.
Full-backs Marcelo, Alvaro Arbeloa and Fabio Coentrao returned from international duty with problems of varying seriousness, Marcelo being ruled out for around three months with a fractured bone in his foot.
Mourinho deployed midfielder Michael Essien at left-back for Saturday's 2-0 La Liga win at home to Celta Vigo with Sergio Ramos moving to right-back and inexperienced teenager Raphael Varane slotting in alongside Pepe in central defence.
"The four guys at the back played very well," Mourinho's assistant Aitor Karanka said. "Celta only had one chance with a header at the end and our defence did some fantastic work.
"Sergio knows the [right-back] position, Rafa delivers when he is used and Pepe was the same as always."
Real's prolific Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo gashed his knee but is expected to be available for the trip to Germany.
Dortmund's 2-1 home defeat by Schalke 04 on Saturday did little to dampen spirits ahead of Wednesday's match.
"We did not play well against Schalke and there is nothing we can do to change that," said coach Jurgen Klopp. "But the match against Real Madrid remains a cool game."
Klopp should have left-back Marcel Schmelzer and midfielder Ilkay Gundogan back after they missed Saturday's game along with Jakub Blaszczykowski who will remain sidelined for at least two more months.
"We will show a completely different face against Real," said defender Mats Hummels. "There will also be the return of some of our injured players."
