Shock as Dortmund's Karetsas Collapses During Champions League Opener

The noise inside Signal Iduna Park dropped in an instant. After just 23 minutes of Borussia Dortmund’s Champions League opener against the LaLiga side, young attacker Paris Brunner Karetsas suddenly went down, without a tackle, without a clash, without warning.

Moments earlier he had glided past his man on a routine dribble, slipped a simple pass, then lifted his arm to signal for help. Seconds later, he was on the turf, paramedics sprinting towards him as the crowd rose to its feet in anxious applause. The 18-year-old left the pitch in tears, carried away while his teammates tried to refocus on a game that suddenly felt secondary.

Suspected Dehydration, Few Answers

According to Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, early indications point to dehydration as a possible cause. The report suggests the Greek attacking player may not have taken on enough fluids immediately before kick-off, with doctors at the hospital initially suspecting dehydration during the first round of examinations.

By Wednesday lunchtime, Dortmund still had not released any detailed diagnosis. Officially, there was no final medical bulletin, no clear explanation. Asked by SID, a club spokesman limited himself to a short update: Karetsas was “doing well under the circumstances”.

Sporting managing director Lars Ricken had earlier described the incident as sudden “circulatory problems”. The words did little to ease the concern around a player who had only just begun to make his mark in black and yellow.

“It Came Very Suddenly”

Inside the club, the shock was obvious.

“I went out with him, but at that moment he was not directly able to speak. We naturally hope that things get better very, very quickly and that it is nothing serious,” said sporting director Ole Book straight after Dortmund’s 3-2 win. “It came very suddenly. Of course, that really puts a significant damper on the mood.”

The result, a hard-fought victory to open their European campaign, was overshadowed by the sight of a teenager struggling to leave the pitch under his own power.

Another Blow to a Thin Attacking Line

For Dortmund, the timing could hardly be worse. Losing Karetsas for any length of time would hit a squad already stretched in attack.

New signing Giannis Konstantelias had barely arrived before disaster struck. On his first Bundesliga appearance against Hamburger SV on the opening matchday, he tore his cruciate ligament and now faces a long spell on the sidelines. His absence forced Dortmund back into the transfer market before the window closed.

The club reacted quickly, bringing in Ethan Nwaneri on loan from Arsenal at short notice as a replacement option. On Tuesday night, it was Nwaneri who came on for Karetsas after the collapse, thrown into a high-pressure Champions League night earlier than anyone had planned.

Defensive Worries Pile Up

The problems are not confined to the forward line. In the same clash with Villarreal, coach Niko Kovac saw his defensive resources take further hits. Nico Schlotterbeck, Emre Can and Filippo Mane all had to come off, adding fresh questions over the stability of a back line already under strain.

Ramy Bensebaini is still dealing with a bruised ribcage and remains unavailable, and even if fit he would not have been able to feature. His second yellow-red card in the 1-4 defeat at Atalanta Bergamo in February means he is suspended in Europe.

So Dortmund leave their opening Champions League night with three points, a rollercoaster 3-2 scoreline, and a stadium still replaying the image of an 18-year-old collapsing on the grass.

The medical reports will come. The fixture list will not slow down. How many more blows can this squad absorb before the season’s ambitions start to bend?