Ajax have been rocked by devastating injury news after it was confirmed that striker Kasper Dolberg will miss the remainder of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
The Danish forward sustained the injury while training with the Denmark national team during the international break, and on Tuesday he underwent surgery on his right knee in Copenhagen, as reported by Flashscore. The 28-year-old is expected to spend the rest of the 2026/27 campaign on the sidelines, dealing Ajax boss Michel a hammer blow just as the striker was rediscovering his best form.
From routine training to season over
The nightmare began on September 22, when Dolberg damaged his knee in a training session with Denmark and was forced to leave the national-team camp. Ajax confirmed the initial setback but withheld the full diagnosis at the time, saying only that their striker had suffered a knee injury. Denmark coach Brian Riemer admitted the forward would be sidelined for an extended period, while Ajax team-mate Anton Gaaei was among the replacements called up to the squad.
Weeks of uncertainty followed, but the full scale of the problem has now become clear. Dolberg has undergone successful surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament, and he will remain in Denmark briefly before returning to Amsterdam to continue his rehabilitation with Ajax. Per Dailysports, the club's official profile lists him under contract until June 30, 2029, and his season is over.
A cruel blow just as form returned
The timing could hardly be crueller. Dolberg's second spell at Ajax has been far from smooth - the club cycled through three managers last season and struggled for consistency - and the forward himself endured long stretches without convincing form. But in recent weeks he had finally started to deliver: a goal off the bench against Fortuna Sittard, another goal plus two assists in a start against Willem II, and an assist for Julian Brandt against Excelsior.
Michel had begun to trust the 28-year-old again, handing him starts while fellow summer signings Marcos Leonardo and Tolu Arokodare rotated around him. Across nine appearances this season, Dolberg has three goals and three assists to his name, and he looked like becoming an important piece of Ajax's attack in the Eredivisie and the UEFA Conference League. Now, the Dutch giants must cope without him for the entire remainder of the campaign.
Denmark feel the pain too
The injury also leaves Denmark without a senior centre-forward option as they push forward in the UEFA Nations League. Dolberg, who has 56 caps and 12 international goals, was earning his first call-up in almost a year when the injury struck, and his absence robs Riemer of valuable experience at the top end of the pitch. With Mohamed Daramy among the players drafted in, the Danes must find attacking answers elsewhere.
For Ajax, the focus now shifts to recovery - and to Dolberg's long-term future in Amsterdam. ACL rehabilitation is one of football's most gruelling journeys, and the club will hope their No. 9 returns stronger in time for the 2027/28 season.
Beyond the Final Whistle: A torn ACL is every footballer's worst nightmare, and for Kasper Dolberg it arrives at the worst possible moment - just as his Ajax revival was gathering pace. Michel now faces the toughest test of his tenure without a senior striker in form. Can Ajax's other forwards step up, or will this injury derail their season? Tell us what you think in the comments.
