Borussia Dortmund sweating over Konstantinos Karetsas
Just when it seemed like the squad is back to full strength again, aside from the long-term injuries, Borussia Dortmund have been dealt another major injury concern.
Konstatinos Karetsas twisted his ankle during their 0-0 draw with Union Berlin on Saturday, as staff had to escort him out of the game with the Greek visibly in pain.
He came off the bench in the 62nd minute and lasted only eight minutes as the player sustained the knock while attempting to clear the ball away from Berlin's Rani Khedira near the byline.
Karetsas went to the ground in agony as Nico Schlotterbeck was seen signaling to the bench for a change. After a few minutes of examination, he was taken off with the 18-year-old unable to walk.
It has raised serious injury concerns for the Prussians, who had already lost his compatriot Giannis Konstantelias to an ACL injury on the first day of the Bundesliga season.
Head coach Niko Kovac wasn't able to provide an exact update on what happened with a diagnosis currently pending. He said:
We now have to see whether it's something more serious or not. I hope it isn't, of course. It is frustrating. Right now, I feel sorry for the lad, who certainly hasn't had much luck lately.
The concern was shared by managing director Lars Ricken, who said:
We will have to carry out further examinations to determine how serious the injury is. We can't give a diagnosis yet.
This isn't the first time that Karetsas has had a health scare. During their Champions League clash against Villarreal last month, the 18-year-old collapsed to the ground with a circulation issue, missing one game.
But this time, it appears to be more serious. According to German news outlet Ruhr Nachrichten, Karetsas could miss several weeks of action until mid-November, when Dortmund head into another international break.
Signed on a 30 million euro transfer from KRC Gent, he will now likely be sidelined from some important games, such as the Champions League fixture away to Sabah on Tuesday, and Bundesliga fixtures to Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayern Munich.
Following his transfer, Karetsas has quickly adapted to life in Germany with his prolific attacking ability. He scored a wonderful goal against Arsenal on his preseason debut and has bagged one assist in his first league appearance too.
Waldemar Anton was quoted telling Sky after the game:
I hope it's nothing serious. It looks like his foot got caught in the turf and his leg buckled a little.
Today's best reads
Player ratings for BVB from 0-0 draw against Union Berlin
"Fresh energy" - Fans react as Dortmund announce lineup for Union Berlin clash
Waldemar Anton admits Borussia Dortmund are still a team in transition after Union Berlin draw
3 winners and 2 losers from Dortmund's 2-2 draw with Bremen
Niko Kovac expects 'tough battle' in Berlin today despite excellent record
