Borussia Dortmund managing director Lars Ricken has revealed that Konstantinos Karetsas suffered a circulation issue during their UEFA Champions League clash with Villarreal on Tuesday.
The Greek star was on the floor after just 26 minutes into the match and was eventually stretchered off. Having already lost Giannis Konstantelias to a torn ACL, the sight of Karetsas going off was a fresh blow for the club and its fans.
Speaking to the press after the match, Ricken revealed that he was taken to the hospital for further medical examinations while reiterating their ecstasy over the victory.
"[Konstantinos Karetsas] felt lightheaded due to circulatory issues. There were no signs of it beforehand. He went to the hospital for further tests. It would be irresponsible to speculate at this point. Despite our concerns, we're excited about the win."
He further lavished praise on some of the young guns for turning in a good performance on the night, especially the in-form Fabio Silva, who bagged an assist for Guirassy's first goal.
"It took a really big effort. It feels great to start the Champions League season this way. It was nice to see that the players who came on really stepped up their game. Nwaneri played well. Jobe [Bellingham] really owned the midfield again, and Fabio Silva made the difference in the end."
The Portuguese forward has been on fire this season. Coming into the match on the back of three goals in three games, he bagged his first assist of the new campaign, squaring the ball for Guirassy to make a simple finish as the BVB attacking duo linked up once again.
Guirassy then stepped to convert a penalty and put Dortmund 3-1 up, which effectively sealed the tie, though an own goal from him in stoppage-time made up for some squaeaky bum-time towards the end.
Ricken hailed the side for showing great character in the face of a tragedy; one that dealt BVB an early blow during the proceedings.
" I have to give props to the team because it’s not easy when you see a teammate being carried off the field on a stretcher and you don’t know what’s wrong with him exactly."
More development in the Karetsas case is expected in the coming hours.
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund turn their fcosu back to the Bundesliga with another home game on Saturday, 12 September as promoted side Paderborn visit the Signal Iduna Park.
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