Dortmund's Squad Updates Ahead of Villarreal Clash
Borussia Dortmund’s preparations for their Champions League opener against Villarreal came with a minor stir on Monday – and an immediate calming of nerves.
Daniel Svensson and Konstantinos Karetsas were both missing from full team training, but head coach Niko Kovac moved quickly to shut down any injury fears on the eve of Tuesday’s game.
“That was completely normal today,” Kovac explained at his pre-match press conference, making it clear there was no drama behind the absence. The pair were given a light day indoors, a planned recovery rather than a setback. “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.”
So Svensson and Karetsas travel as part of the squad, ready if called. One teammate does not.
Mané ruled out, suspensions bite
Filippo Mané will miss the Villarreal tie after picking up a muscle injury in the 3-2 Bundesliga win over Hoffenheim at the weekend, forced off in the first half of that frantic contest.
Kovac confirmed the defender is out until after the international break but struck an optimistic note about his recovery.
“We're assuming nothing else will happen before the international break. He'll certainly return after that,” said the coach. The frustration was clear, but so was his defence of the club’s workload management. “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.”
Dortmund’s back line takes another hit through suspension. Nico Schlotterbeck and Ramy Bensebaini, both recently stepping up their comebacks from injury, are banned for the Villarreal fixture and cannot be used despite their progress.
Long-term absentees Giannis Konstantelias and Emre Can also remain unavailable, leaving Kovac to juggle his options as Dortmund step onto the European stage with a reshuffled defensive core and a bench that will be tested early in the campaign.
