Borussia Dortmund fear nasty Yan Couto injury after 'brutal' tackle leaves ex-Man City full-back 'in a lot of pain'

Dortmund kicked off their 2025-26 campaign on a bittersweet note, as they registered a 1-0 win over Essen to progress to the next round of the DFB-Pokal, but lost a key player to injury. Late in the game, full-back Couto was stretchered off the field by paramedics following a horror challenge from Essen substitute Kelsey Owusu, leaving his team-mates and head coach Niko Kovac in despair.

Couto was once heralded as one of the most exciting right-backs in the world after his sensational loan spell at Girona in the 2023-24 season. However, he never got a chance to shine at Manchester City, with Dortmund snapping him up in the summer of 2024. The 23-year-old made 35 appearances in all competitions in the 2024-25 season, but he failed to be consistent and impactful. A lot of hopes were pinned on him ahead of this season, but his injury puts a spanner in the works for the Black and Yellow.

Following the full-time whistle. Julian Brandt reacted to Couto's injury on Sky Sport. He said: "That's brutal. First of all, we're a bit lucky that he didn't stay completely on his leg, but that it was more of a glancing blow. I think otherwise, things are looking pretty bad for him. I haven't seen him yet. I hope he got off lightly. I hope that we won't lose Couto now as well, because we don't have a very large squad at the moment."

Kovac also spoke to Sky Sport and provide initial updates on the Brazilian international's injury. 

"He's in a lot of pain," the manager explained. "That was a pretty hard kick. I've never seen anything like it before. He's doubled over in pain. He's got an ice pack on there, of course. Tomorrow we'll examine what happened. I hope nothing's broken. But it's certainly clear to everyone that it's definitely a bad bruise.

"Rough kick is almost an understatement... I think that's not something you do between colleagues. I'm sure he didn't do it intentionally. But he has no chance at all; the ball is somewhere [else], and it goes straight to his knee. That's already beyond the pale."

Dortmund already boast of a squad that lacks enough depth to challenge for titles. Couto's injury further piles on to their misery, as he joins fellow defenders Emre Can, Niklas Sule and Nico Schlotterbeck on the sidelines for the foreseeable future. Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl hinted that the club could be forced to sign a replacement in case Couto is sidelined for a lengthy period. 

“If Yan were to be sidelined now, the situation would certainly have changed. We’ll see what really makes sense in terms of transfers,” Kehl said.