Dortmund's Karetsas Stretchered Off in Champions League Win

Borussia Dortmund’s night in the UEFA Champions League brought a comeback win, fresh concern and a sharp reminder of how quickly a season’s plans can twist.

Eighteen-year-old Konstantinos Karetsas, one of the club’s most intriguing summer arrivals, left the pitch on a stretcher in the first half of Dortmund’s 3-2 victory over Villarreal, cutting short what was meant to be another step in his rapid rise.

It happened with no warning. Karetsas played a routine pass, then immediately raised his hand toward the bench and dropped to the turf. Medical staff rushed on. Treatment lasted several minutes, with attention appearing to centre on his upper body, before the teenager was carefully lifted onto a stretcher and taken straight down the tunnel.

His night ended in the 27th minute, Ethan Nwaneri coming on in his place.

Dortmund later moved to clarify the situation. The club announced that the substitution was “due to circulation problems” and confirmed Karetsas had been taken to hospital for further examinations, adding that he “is doing as well as can be expected given the circumstances.” No more detail, but enough to underline the seriousness of the scare.

There had already been a small hint that Karetsas was not at full tilt. He had not taken part in full training with the rest of the squad on the eve of the match. Niko Kovač downplayed that in his pre-match press conference, explaining it was normal for one or two players to work in the gym instead of joining the full session. On this evidence, every detail will now be revisited.

Karetsas only joined Dortmund this summer from Genk, arriving with high expectations and alongside compatriot Giannis Konstantelias. The club’s long-term plan was clear: two gifted youngsters, time to grow, space to adapt. That plan has already been hit hard. Konstantelias suffered an ACL tear in late August, a major blow that forced Dortmund into the market, bringing in Nwaneri on loan from Arsenal to help cover the loss.

On this night, that chain of events looped back on itself. The player signed to offset one injury was thrown in to replace another stricken talent.

Out on the pitch, the game swung Dortmund’s way after the break. Serhou Guirassy took charge of the contest, his second-half double driving the Bundesliga side to a 3-2 win over the La Liga visitors and masking, at least on the scoreboard, the unease created by Karetsas’ early exit.

The result gives Dortmund a platform in Europe. The real question now is how quickly one of their brightest prospects can return to join them.