Borussia Dortmund are sweating over Serhou Guirassy after the Guinea striker limped off with a thigh injury in Wednesday's 2-1 Champions League win over Real Betis, with head coach Niko Kovac admitting he did not want to take any risk with his top scorer.
Guirassy collided awkwardly with the near post in the third minute as he stretched for a cross at the six-yard box, tried to play on, then dropped to the turf clutching his thigh just before the half-hour. He made way in the 34th minute for 18-year-old Konstantinos Karetsas, who went on to score the winner.
According to Bundesliga, Kovac said after the game: "He said he could feel his thigh, so we are going to have to see what the issue is. We don't believe it was anything more than a pulled muscle, but he was unable to continue."
Kovac refused to gamble
SoccerNews reported the same message from Kovac to DAZN: Guirassy felt his thigh, the hope is it is no more than a strain, and Dortmund took him off because they did not want to take risks. "If he's not available against Elversberg, we hope he'll be back after the break," Kovac added.
Sporting director Ole Book echoed that cautious optimism, describing it as a muscular injury and noting Guirassy was still moving fairly normally afterwards. Further examinations on Thursday were expected to give a clearer picture, but as of Thursday morning no confirmed return date had been announced.
Dortmund still won the night without him. Fabio Silva put them ahead in the 49th minute, Aitor Ruibal equalised for Betis, and Karetsas sealed it in the 72nd minute, as Dortmund halted Betis' perfect European record and moved to nine points from four games.
So what does this mean for Dortmund and Guinea?
The timing could hardly be worse. Dortmund sit second in the Bundesliga, trailing leaders Bayern Munich only on goal difference, and Saturday's trip to Elversberg is their final game before the November international break. Dropping points there, days after Harry Kane committed his future to Bayern, would hand the champions a free run at opening a gap.
Guirassy has been central to Dortmund keeping pace, with reported figures putting him at eight goals in 14 competitive matches this season. Fabio Silva showed he can step in, and Karetsas announced himself with the winner, but neither carries Guirassy's penalty-box presence over a full 90 minutes.
There is a second worry beyond Dortmund. Guinea face Eritrea in AFCON 2027 qualifying on November 12 and 16, and their star striker is now a doubt for that double-header too. A simple strain might clear in days; anything more damaged, and both club and country lose the man they build their attack around.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Kovac was right to pull Guirassy the moment he felt that thigh - a strain protected in November is a season saved, a strain torn in November is a season wrecked. But do not dress this up: if the scans say more than a strain, Dortmund's title chase and Guinea's qualifying campaign both change shape overnight. The next 24 hours of medical news matter more than Saturday's team sheet.
Will Dortmund cope if Guirassy misses Elversberg and the international break? Let us know what you think in the comment section.
