BVB star Karetsas faces forced break despite strong comeback
Shortly after his comeback, BVB star Konstantinos Karetsas has to take a forced break, because BVB head coach Niko Kovač, in coordination with the Greek federation, is planning load management for the upcoming international matches. Whether the team will follow the order remains uncertain, while the next mandatory matches against Werder Bremen are already scheduled for Friday evening.
A photo of Karetsas shows him during the historic Nations League victory of Greece over Germany, where he delivered a strong performance. Greece won the match, and Karetsas was praised for his presence on the pitch.
Whether the 18‑year‑old will also feature in the return leg in Thessaloniki is still unclear. The decision depends on the talks between BVB and the Greek federation.
Coordination between BVB and the Greek federation
According to the Ruhr News, Kovač held phone calls in advance with all national coaches who had nominated a Dortmund player for the current international window. The aim was a joint coordination of load management, with Nico Schlotterbeck and Konstantinos Karetsas in particular being the focus.
With Schlotterbeck it was initially about his comeback after overcoming an injury. Although he remained in the DFB squad, Jürgen Klopp left him out of the roster for the 0‑1 loss to Greece for load reasons.
Karetsas suffered circulatory problems in Borussia's Champions League match against Villarreal (3‑2), which forced him out of the competition. Shortly before the international break he reported back and was taken into the squad by national coach Ivan Jovanović.
The youngster already started twice from the beginning: against Serbia he was on the pitch for 74 minutes in a 2‑1 win, and in Augsburg against Germany he played the full 90 minutes.
Impact on upcoming international matches
According to Ruhr News, Karetsas is expected to rest more often in the remaining two fixtures – on Thursday against the Netherlands and on Sunday against the DFB selection – due to the tightly packed schedule of Dortmund, before the Bundesliga clash against Werder Bremen takes place the following Friday evening.