Borussia Dortmund have been dealt an early blow into their clash with FC Tokyo as World Cup returnee Carney Chukwuemeka went off with an apparent injury just 23 minutes into it.
The Austrian was making his first appearance of BVB's pre-season campaign after having been given an extended rest for his participation at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Das Team.
He had joined the squad last week and began his training before flying with the rest of the side to Japan for the BVB Evonik Japan Tour.
Head coach Niko Kovac opted to rest him (and the other World Cup stars) for their first game in the country against Cerezo Osaka on Wednesday.
However, the Croatian brought them all back into the XI today with Chukwuemeka starting alongside Samuele Inacio as one of the two attacking midfielders supporting the lone striker, Fabio Silva.
His first appearance post the World Cup though, lasted just 23 minutes as the former Chelsea man was replaced by Takato Yamamoto after picking up a knock.
Chukwuemeka was seen lying on the floor asking to get subbed, to which Kovac responded by taking him off and bringing on the 18-year-old Japanese midfielder.
Since joining from Chelsea in 2025, the midfielder has experienced a few fitness concerns. In fact, there have been five different instances in just 18 months where he was forced to sit out with an injury.
Although none were serious enough to keep Chukwuemeka out for months, his poor fitness record kept him from truly achieving his best with the side even after his loan spell was turned into a permanent transfer last season.
The Austrian made 28 appearances in the Bundesliga during the 2025-26 season, but started only eight of them as Chukwuemeka struggled to nail down a starting berth. And one big reason for his inability to consistently deliver were his recurring injuries.
However, there was still hope that he would attain peak fitness going into the new season now. The young gun has reportedly looked fitter in training after having worked on it lately, while also cutting his holiday short to resume club duties.
But as destiny would have it, injuries have reared its ugly head on Chukwuemeka again. One has to wait until the match ends to see what Kovac has to say about it, whether it's something concerning or just a minor niggle. Either way, the player still has work to do on his fitness.
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