ONE TOUCH SUMMARY
- Karetsas, 18, slumped to the turf 25 minutes into his Champions League debut against Villarreal.
- Dortmund said the Greece prospect left the field with circulatory problems and is undergoing further tests.
- Dortmund won 3-2 via a Renato Veiga own goal and a late Serhou Guirassy brace.
ONE TOUCH INSIGHT
Dortmund's summer rebuild was priced on two Greeks and is now measured in hospital paperwork.
Karetsas went down 25 minutes into his Champions League debut against Villarreal, passing to a teammate before signalling to the referee and sitting on the grass. Circulatory problems, the club said. Stretcher, hospital, tests. He is 18, and the €30m from Genk was bought to give Dortmund's midfield a carrier, not to be the story of the night. The other half of that €56m outlay, Konstantelias, is already facing a season lost to an ACL taken on his Bundesliga debut. Two marquee arrivals, both down inside a month, is not bad luck you absorb — it is a depth problem that Guirassy's late brace and Renato Veiga's own goal dressed up as a 3-2 win.
Kobel's public hope that Karetsas is back soon is not a medical clearance. Dortmund's next league selection settles whether this was a scare or a season-shaping absence.
WHY IT MATTERS
Karetsas was one half of Dortmund's marquee summer spend, and with Konstantelias' season likely ended by an ACL injury, the club's rebuild now hinges on the health and availability of an 18-year-old.
TACTICAL FIT
Karetsas was handed a Champions League debut in Dortmund's attack, and his absence alongside the injured Konstantelias thins the club's creative options, pushing the load onto senior forwards and a more direct approach.
Multiple Authors
Sep 8, 2026, 06:43 PM ET
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Borussia Dortmund teenage star Konstantinos Karetsas was taken to hospital for treatment after slumping to the turf 25 minutes into his Champions League debut Tuesday.
"Konstantinos Karetsas had to leave the field due to circulatory problems," Dortmund said in a statement. "Kosta is doing well under the circumstances and is on his way to the hospital for further tests."
Facing Villarreal, the 18-year-old Greece prospect passed the ball to a teammate then signaled his distress to the referee before sitting on the grass.
Karetsas was treated laying down then taken away on a stretcher. The score was 0-0 at the time.
Konstantinos Karetsas was treated on the field and then taken to hospital.(Photo by Vitalii Kliuiev/Getty Images)
"I hope and I think that everything is OK and I hope that he's back and fit with us soon," Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel told broadcaster Amazon Prime.
Karetsas and his Greece teammate Giannis Konstantelias were marquee signings for Dortmund in the summer -- former Belgium youth international Karetsas for €30 million (£25.7m/$34.9m) from Genk and Konstantelias for €26m (£22.3m/$30.2m) from PAOK.
Konstantelias' season was likely ended last month by an ACL injury on his Bundesliga debut.
Dortmund went on to win Tuesday's match 3-2 thanks to an own goal from Renato Veiga and a late brace from Serhou Guirassy on his 100th appearance for the club.
Information from the Associated Press contributed to this report.
AI-assisted · generated from ESPN FC reporting, not editor reviewed
