Borussia Dortmund confirm Kos Karetsas will miss weekend after early Champions League injury

Borussia Dortmund have confirmed that Kos Karetsas will not be available for this weekend’s match after his Champions League debut against Villarreal ended after just over twenty minutes due to a medical issue. The club said his condition is being closely monitored and that his health remains the priority.

Champions League context

The first six fixtures of the Champions League League Phase are now complete. Club Brugge suffered a home defeat to Aston Villa, leaving several intriguing ties still to play. Real Madrid and Manchester City also featured in the opening round of matches.

In addition to those games, Real Madrid faced Inter Milan, with Kylian Mbappé and Federico Valverde scoring early to give the Spanish side a comfortable lead. Inter rallied after the break, prompting a series of saves from Thibaut Courtois before Real Madrid secured three points. Lille’s European night was less fortunate, as they led Real Betis at half‑time but conceded two quick goals after the interval, ending in a 2‑3 loss.

Dortmund's update on Karetsas

Sporting director Nils-Ole Book said, “Het gaat goed met hem, gezien de omstandigheden,” adding that further investigations are required and that the club will “dig to the bottom” of the issue. He stressed that “Het is vanzelfsprekend dat de gezondheid van onze speler onze prioriteit is” and confirmed Karetsas will miss the upcoming weekend.

Trainer Niko Kovac expressed optimism, stating, “We are positive about it and hope he can be back with us in the near future.” He indicated that Zijn absence is not expected to be prolonged.

Player background and future outlook

Kos Karetsas, a young Greek international who previously played for KRC Genk, made his Champions League debut for Borussia Dortmund against Villarreal before being forced off with circulatory problems. He was taken to hospital for further examinations, but Dortmund reported he is relatively well considering the circumstances.

Een further match on Tuesday evening saw Razvan Marin open the debate with a superb free‑kick for AEK Athens against LASK Linz, while the Pro League continued alongside the European fixtures. The club remains hopeful that Karetsas will recover swiftly and rejoin the squad for upcoming challenges.