Borussia Dortmund skipper Emre Can has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with an ACL injury. The German international is set for a considerable spell on the sidelines.
During the Der Klassiker game to Bayern Munich on Saturday, Can got entangled with Konrad Laimer and went down clutching his knee.
Although he picked himself up to continue, the BVB captain went off moments before the interval and was replaced by Ramy Bensebaini.
Now, the club has confirmed that Can has torn his cruciate ligament and will miss their remainder of the 2025-26 season, sidelining him from their last 10 games of the Bundesliga campaign.
Already knocked out from the DFB Pokal and Champions League, the Black and Yellows now have only the top-flight fixtures to negotiate with although their title ambitions took a serious hit after the Klassiker defeat on Saturday.
Dortmund are now 11 points behind leaders Bayern Munich with only 10 games remaining, a gap that seems too big to scale at this juncture of the season as the side hopes to at least finish in top-four and secure Champions League football for next season.
But now, their task is cut out with Can ruled out, as the 32-year-old had a commanding influence on the squad with his experience and solid leadership skills. He was also a key figure in set-pieces, having successfully dispatched a few penalties for Dortmund.
Dortmund sporting Director Sebastian Kehl has called Can's loss 'bitter' for the whole squad but vowed full support in his recovery.
""Emre's injury is extremely bitter. Not only for him, but for all of us. He is our captain, always puts himself at the service of the team and is an important part of our club. Emre will receive every support from us over the coming months so that he can make a full recovery.""said Kehl
Since his move to Dortmund in 2020, Can has suffered multiple injuries. According to Transfermarkt, there have been 15 instances of him missing Dortmund's matches due to injuries, with the most serious one coming last season where the former Liverpool and Juventus defender missed 18 games in a row with an adductor problem.
This season was much kinder in comparison but injuries reared its ugly head over Can again last month when he missed four games with a similar issue. He had only returned to fitness lately but is now set for another lengthy period in the treatment room.