Borussia Dortmund's teenage star Konstantinos Karetsas was hospitalised after collapsing on the pitch during his Champions League debut against Villarreal on Tuesday. The 19-year-old slumped to the turf in the 25th minute with the score at 0-0 and was treated by medical staff before being stretchered off.
The club later issued a statement confirming the incident: "Konstantinos Karetsas had to leave the field due to circulatory problems." Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel added after the match, "I hope and I think that everything is OK and I hope that he's back and fit with us soon."
Karetsas had started the game and first signaled distress to the referee after passing the ball to a teammate. Moments later, the young Greek prospect collapsed on the Signal Iduna Park turf. Play was halted for several minutes while he received treatment on the pitch before being carried off on a stretcher and taken directly to a hospital. The shocking incident cast a shadow over what was meant to be a celebratory Champions League opening night for the Bundesliga side.
Despite the distressing scene, Niko Kovac's team regrouped to secure an important 3-2 home victory. An own goal from Renato Veiga and a late brace from Serhou Guirassy, who scored on his 100th appearance for the club, sealed the three points. This European success follows a perfect domestic start where Dortmund sits third in the Bundesliga table with six points from two wins, having scored five goals and conceded two. Their recent form reads two consecutive victories.
The teenager was signed from Belgian side Genk for a fee of €30 million in the summer and had immediately become a regular starter. Before Tuesday's incident, Karetsas had started all three of Dortmund's competitive matches this season in both the Bundesliga and Champions League. He also featured as a substitute in the DFB-Pokal and German Super Cup. His immediate impact justified the club's significant investment in his potential.
The Karetsas incident marks the second major injury blow to Dortmund's squad in the early campaign. Fellow summer signing Giannis Konstantelias likely saw his season ended last month by an anterior cruciate ligament tear in his left knee during his Bundesliga debut. That earlier injury had already prompted the club to react by securing the loan signing of Arsenal playmaker Ethan Nwaneri. The first-team squad availability can be tracked on our injuries page.
The team must now quickly refocus as their next competitive fixture comes this Saturday with a home match against SC Paderborn. Looking further ahead on the fixtures list, a significant away match against eighth-placed RB Leipzig awaits on December 19, 2026.
