Dortmund Calm Injury Concerns Ahead of Champions League

Borussia Dortmund walked out for their final training session before the Champions League opener against Villarreal without Daniel Svensson and Konstantinos Karetsas. On the eve of a European night, that kind of absence usually sets alarm bells ringing.

Niko Kovac quickly put them out.

Both players are fit, both are available, and both remain in his plans for Tuesday’s game. Their absence from the main group was a matter of management, not crisis.

“That was completely normal today,” Kovac explained at his pre-match press conference, brushing aside any suggestion of a setback. He pointed to a routine decision: sometimes one or two players stay inside to recover, either in the locker room or the gym. No drama, just detail. “Both are in perfect health and are options for the game,” he stressed.

The real concern lies elsewhere.

Filippo Mané, forced off in the first half of Dortmund’s 3-2 Bundesliga win over Hoffenheim at the weekend, will miss the Villarreal clash with a muscle injury. It is a frustrating blow for a player whose numbers, Kovac insisted, had been exemplary.

“We’re assuming nothing else will happen before the international break. He’ll certainly return after that,” the coach said, accepting the setback with the weary realism of someone who has seen it all before. “Unfortunately, things like this are just part of the game. In terms of training load and training management, everything was top-notch; he had really good endurance and strength numbers.”

So Dortmund head into Europe juggling the usual early-season equation: form, fitness, and suspension.

Nico Schlotterbeck and Ramy Bensebaini have both made encouraging progress in their respective recoveries, yet neither will feature. Suspensions rule them out, stripping Kovac of two experienced defensive options just as the level of opposition rises.

The list of absentees stretches further. Long-term injuries keep Giannis Konstantelias and Emre Can sidelined, robbing Dortmund of creativity and authority in key areas of the pitch.

Even so, the message from the coach remained steady. No panic, no excuses. With Svensson and Karetsas cleared and Mané expected back after the international break, Dortmund know exactly what they have – and what they don’t – as they step into the glare of the Champions League.