Dortmund Prepares for Villarreal Clash Amid Fitness Concerns

Borussia Dortmund walked out to training on Monday with two notable absentees, but any early concern evaporated as quickly as it surfaced. Daniel Svensson and Konstantinos Karetsas skipped the main session, yet both will be ready for the Champions League opener against Villarreal on Tuesday.

Niko Kovac cut off the speculation before it could build. Speaking at his pre-match press conference, the Dortmund head coach framed the decision as routine squad management rather than a red flag.

That, he stressed, is standard practice. A day in the gym or treatment room, not on the grass, is part of the rhythm of a long season. Svensson and Karetsas, he underlined, are in full health and in contention to feature.

The mood shifted when the subject turned to Filippo Mané. The defender, forced off in the first half of the dramatic 3-2 Bundesliga win over Hoffenheim at the weekend, will not make it in time for Villarreal. A muscle injury has ruled him out of the Group Stage curtain-raiser.

Kovac expressed frustration, but not surprise. This is the grind of elite football: a packed calendar, heavy workloads, and the occasional cruel twist. Dortmund’s staff, he pointed out, had managed Mané’s training levels carefully and were pleased with his endurance and strength data before the setback. The injury still came.

The timeline, at least, offers some relief. Dortmund expect Mané to be sidelined only until after the upcoming international break, with the defender tipped to return once club football resumes.

Selection Challenges

Kovac’s selection puzzle does not end there. Nico Schlotterbeck and Ramy Bensebaini, both edging their way back from recent injuries, have made encouraging progress but are unavailable on Tuesday for a different reason: suspension. Their absence strips experience from the back line on a night when control and composure will be at a premium.

Long-term injuries continue to shape the wider picture. Giannis Konstantelias and Emre Can remain out, thinning Dortmund’s options in key areas and forcing Kovac to lean deeper into his squad as the fixtures start to pile up.

So Dortmund head into their Champions League opener with a mixed medical bulletin: reassurance over Svensson and Karetsas, a short-term blow with Mané, and a defensive reshuffle enforced by suspension. How they absorb those disruptions against Villarreal will say plenty about their resilience at the very start of a long European campaign.