Konstantinos Karetsas Injured During Champions League Match

Konstantinos Karetsas’ Champions League night ended in worrying fashion as the Borussia Dortmund teenager was carried off on a stretcher during the first half of their clash with Villarreal.

The 18-year-old had just released a pass when he immediately signalled to the bench, raised his hand, and then dropped to the turf. Medical staff rushed on and treated him for several minutes, concentrating on his upper body as a subdued stadium watched on.

He was eventually taken from the pitch on a stretcher and led straight down the tunnel to the locker room, his debut European campaign jolted by a sudden health scare rather than a challenge or collision. Ethan Nwaneri came on in his place in the 27th minute.

Dortmund later moved to clarify the situation, announcing that Karetsas had been substituted “due to circulation problems” and confirming he had been taken to hospital for further examinations. The club added that he “is doing as well as can be expected given the circumstances,” a cautious but reassuring update after such a distressing scene.

The midfielder had already been managed carefully in the build-up. He did not take part in full training with the rest of the squad on the eve of the game, instead working in the gym. Head coach Niko Kovač played down any concerns at his pre-match news conference, describing it as a normal variation in workload, with one or two players sometimes doing an individual session rather than joining the main group.

Karetsas only arrived at Dortmund in the summer from Genk, part of a double swoop that also brought in fellow Greek talent Giannis Konstantelias. That move has taken on extra weight in recent weeks. Konstantelias suffered an ACL tear in late August, a major blow for both player and club and a reminder of how quickly plans can unravel.

Dortmund reacted by bringing in Nwaneri on loan from Arsenal to help cover the creative burden. On this night, the teenager found himself thrown into the action earlier than expected, summoned from the bench after Karetsas’ withdrawal.

On the pitch, the German side eventually wrestled control of a chaotic contest. A second-half brace from Serhou Guirassy drove Dortmund to a 3-2 win over the La Liga outfit, a statement result on paper, even if the evening’s most important story revolved around a young midfielder’s health rather than the scoreline.

Dortmund leave with three points and fresh questions: how quickly can Karetsas return, and how much more strain can their new-look midfield bear this early in the season?