Borussia Dortmund Face Bayern Munich as Konstantinos Karetsas Battles Injury
Borussia Dortmund attacking midfielder Konstantinos Karetsas is racing against time to prove his fitness ahead of the high-stakes Bundesliga Klassiker against Bayern Munich on Saturday. Coach Niko Kovac revealed on Thursday that the Greece international is fighting to return after suffering an ankle injury on October 17 during a 0-0 draw with Union Berlin.
The fitness battle compounds a troubled physical stretch for Karetsas, who is one of the club’s major signings this season. His recent ankle setback followed a scary incident in September when he collapsed due to what the club described as ‘circulatory problems’. After returning to partial training on Thursday, Kovac noted at a press conference: He trained in part with the team today. It was matchday plus two and minus two so it was not too intensive.
Kovac added regarding a potential appearance in Munich: Today was the first time Karetsas trained with the team. The plan is that if all is well tomorrow, he will train with the team and we will decide if he is ready to go to Munich or not.
Dortmund and Bayern Remain Unbeaten in Bundesliga
The impending clash brings together two domestic heavyweights sitting on equal footing. Both Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich remain unbeaten in the Bundesliga this season, each holding 17 points, though the Bavarians sit at the top of the table on goal difference. Dortmund head into the fixture following a Tuesday night German Cup third-round qualification, securing a last-gasp 3-2 home victory over Werder Bremen.
Despite matching Bayern in points, contrasting offensive figures highlight a stark gap between the rivals. Dortmund have scored 12 goals across seven league games, which amounts to fewer than half of Bayern’s prolific 25 goals over the same stretch.
Weighing the Klassiker Challenge
Addressing the media on Thursday, Kovac acknowledged the rare mathematical parity between the adversaries while emphasizing the immense scale of the test awaiting his squad. It is the Klassiker and after a long time we can play a game having the same level of points,
Kovac said. That makes the match more interesting but it does not make it easier. Bayern are the gold standard, not only in Germany but in Europe.
Offering a final assessment on their prospects against the league leaders, Kovac concluded: We may have a chance this time to turn the game in our favour but, as I said, it won’t be easy.
Whether Karetsas will be deemed fit enough to feature on the pitch remains to be decided following Friday’s final training session.