Konstantinos Karetsas Injured During Champions League Match

Konstantinos Karetsas’ Champions League night ended in alarming fashion, with the Borussia Dortmund teenager taken off on a stretcher during the first half of their clash against Villarreal.

The 18-year-old had just released a pass when he immediately signalled to the bench, raising his arm before dropping to the turf. Medical staff rushed on and treated him for several minutes, working around his upper body as the stadium fell quiet.

He was eventually stretchered off and taken straight down the tunnel, replaced by Ethan Nwaneri in the 27th minute.

Dortmund later moved to clarify the situation, announcing that the substitution was “due to circulation problems” and confirming Karetsas had been taken to hospital for further examinations. The club added that he “is doing as well as can be expected given the circumstances.”

The episode came after a slightly disrupted build-up for the youngster. Karetsas had not taken part in full training with the main group the day before the game, instead working in the gym. Head coach Niko Kovač had downplayed that decision in his pre-match press conference, describing it as a normal adjustment in the training load, with one or two players sometimes doing individual sessions.

Karetsas only arrived at Dortmund in the summer from Genk, part of a double move with fellow countryman Giannis Konstantelias. The club’s plans for that pair have already been hit hard: Konstantelias suffered an ACL tear in late August, forcing Dortmund into the market to bring in Nwaneri on loan from Arsenal to bolster their attacking options.

On the night, Dortmund managed to steady themselves after the scare. Serhou Guirassy struck twice in the second half to haul the Bundesliga side to a 3-2 win over the La Liga visitors.

For Karetsas, the result will feel secondary. His next steps won’t be about minutes or positions, but medical reports and recovery timelines in a season that was supposed to be his big breakthrough.