Karetsas Collapse Overshadows Dortmund's Champions League Win

For 23 minutes, it felt like a normal Champions League night in Dortmund. Then Paris Brunner Karetsas went down, and Signal Iduna Park fell silent.

The 18-year-old Greek attacking talent suddenly collapsed without any contact during Borussia Dortmund’s 3-2 win over the LaLiga side on Tuesday, turning a thrilling opener into a deeply worrying evening.

He had just completed a routine dribble and laid off a simple pass. Then came the first sign that something was wrong: Karetsas raised his arm, calling for help. Seconds later, he was on the turf. Medical staff sprinted onto the pitch, the stadium watching in stunned disbelief.

Carried off to applause, tears in his eyes, the new signing disappeared down the tunnel as the match somehow had to continue.

Suspicion of dehydration, no final diagnosis yet

According to Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, doctors suspect Karetsas may have collapsed because he had not taken on enough water immediately before the game. Dehydration was reportedly the initial suspicion during his first examination in hospital.

By Wednesday lunchtime, Dortmund had still not released any definitive diagnosis. There was no detailed medical bulletin, no clear timetable.

Asked by SID, a club spokesman limited himself to a short update: Karetsas was "doing well under the circumstances". Earlier, sporting managing director Lars Ricken had described the incident as sudden "circulatory problems".

Inside the club, the shock was obvious.

"I went out with him, but at that moment he was not directly able to speak. We naturally hope that things get better very, very quickly and that it is nothing serious," said sporting director Ole Book straight after the final whistle. "It came very suddenly. Of course, that really puts a significant damper on the mood."

The result said 3-2 to Dortmund. The faces told a different story.

Another key attacker at risk

The question now hangs in the air: will BVB have to do without yet another important attacking player?

Losing Karetsas for any length of time would hit Dortmund hard. The club had already suffered a major blow when new signing Giannis Konstantelias tore his cruciate ligament on his Bundesliga debut against Hamburger SV on the opening matchday. The playmaker will be out for a long spell.

That injury forced Dortmund back into the market late in the window. Shortly before the deadline, they secured Ethan Nwaneri on loan from Arsenal as a replacement option. On Tuesday night, it was Nwaneri who came on for Karetsas after the collapse, thrown into a high-pressure European debut under circumstances no young player ever wants.

Injury worries mounting across the pitch

The problems are not limited to the attack. Dortmund’s defensive resources are also being stretched.

Coach Niko Kovac had to substitute Nico Schlotterbeck, Emre Can and Filippo Mane during the clash with Villarreal, adding fresh concerns to an already growing list. Each change chipped away at Dortmund’s stability, even as they clung on for the win.

Ramy Bensebaini, meanwhile, is still dealing with a bruised ribcage. Even if he had been fully fit, he would not have been allowed to feature on Tuesday after his second yellow-red card in the 1-4 defeat at Atalanta Bergamo back in February.

So Dortmund leave their Champions League opener with three points, a stirring scoreline, and a stadium still replaying the moment Karetsas went down.

The next few days will tell whether this was a brief scare or the start of another long absence in a squad already pushed to its limits.