Europe: Champions League
Dortmund
Villarreal
By Rune Gjerulff@runegjerulff

Duo sit out training ahead of Dortmund's Champions League opener against Villarreal

Daniel Svensson and Konstantinos Karetsas both missed Borussia Dortmund's training session on Monday ahead of the club's Champions League opener against Villarreal.
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Photo by Sona Maleterova/Getty Images

Borussia Dortmund are dealing with several injury concerns heading into their 2026/27 Champions League opener against Villarreal on Tuesday night.

According to WAZ, Daniel Svensson and Konstantinos Karetsas were among those who sat out Monday's team training session.

However, the local outlet adds that there is currently no reason for major concern over the duo, who completed individual sessions, with their absence expected to be for workload management reasons.

The situation in Dortmund's central defence is more concerning after Filippo Mané picked up a thigh injury in Saturday's 3-2 win over TSG Hoffenheim.

Ramy Bensebaini will also miss the game against Villarreal, as he's both suspended and injured, while experienced defenders Nico Schlotterbeck and Emre Can remain sidelined.

Given these absences, either Daniel Svensson or Julian Ryerson could potentially be moved from wing-back into central defence, while 18-year-old Luca Reggiani is another option.

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