Dortmund Injury Update Ahead of Villarreal Clash

Borussia Dortmund stepped onto the training pitch on Monday without Daniel Svensson and Konstantinos Karetsas – but any alarm bells were quickly silenced by Niko Kovac.

The head coach confirmed that both players are fit and in contention for Tuesday’s Champions League opener against Villarreal, explaining their absence as part of a planned workload strategy rather than a late injury scare.

“That was completely normal today. It can happen from time to time that we let one or two players recover in the locker room or in the gym. Both are in perfect health and are options for the game,” Kovac said at his pre‑match press conference.

So no drama there. Just rotation, recovery, and a bit of cloak-and-dagger typical of a European week.

Mané blow after Hoffenheim thriller

The real setback came with Filippo Mané.

The defender, forced off in the first half of Dortmund’s 3-2 Bundesliga win over Hoffenheim at the weekend, has suffered a muscle injury and will miss the Villarreal clash. It is a frustrating pause for a player whose physical data, according to his coach, had been exemplary.

“We're assuming nothing else will happen before the international break. He'll certainly return after that. 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,” Kovac noted, underlining that this was misfortune rather than mismanagement.

For a squad already juggling absences, Mané’s injury trims the defensive options at a delicate moment in the calendar.

Suspensions and long-term absentees tighten options

Kovac’s back line is further stretched by suspension. Nico Schlotterbeck and Ramy Bensebaini, both edging forward in their recoveries from recent injuries, are banned for the Villarreal tie and must watch from the stands just as they were nearing a return to action.

They are joined on the unavailable list by long-term absentees Giannis Konstantelias and Emre Can, whose continued absence strips Dortmund of experience and creativity in central areas.

So Dortmund head into Europe’s biggest stage with a squad that is largely healthy, but not untouched. The tools are there for Kovac to shape a competitive side – the question is whether this trimmed group can set the right tone for their Champions League campaign from the very first whistle.