Brilliant as a substitute, lacklustre as a starter: Why Fabio Silva evokes mixed feelings at BVB

The 23-year-old has made 25 appearances in the German top flight, coming off the bench on 18 of those occasions. Seven of his eight goal contributions have come from these substitute outings. He started just once, in BVB's 3-2 home win over St. Pauli in mid-January, setting up Karim Adeyemi's goal to make it 2-0.

"Whether I'm in the starting line-up or not, whenever the manager wants me on the pitch, I try to help the team," the forward, signed permanently from Wolverhampton Wanderers last summer for €22.5 million, said a few days ago. He then added a line crucial to understanding his game: "I think everyone can see that I'm more than just a player who scores goals."

Silva thus finds himself in a real dilemma in his first season at BVB. This does not refer to the adductor injury he carried with him to Borussia after his transfer, the after-effects of which meant he arrived a long way behind schedule. Silva has long since regained his physical form; seven of his total of just nine starts came in 2026.

The one-time international has made a far greater impact as a substitute so far. Although Silva's start at his new club was far from ideal, he has always made an impression on the pitch.

When he enters the fray, he immediately shows exemplary commitment and delivers the kind of late-game energy every coach craves. His high work rate, quickness and smart movement into space complement his superb technique and footballing intelligence, allowing him to slot seamlessly into the team's passing play. His performance in the 3-3 draw at Frankfurt earlier this year, for example, ranked among BVB's best substitute appearances in recent times.

That form earned him a run in the starting XI. Yet while he retained those attributes, the team's results during his starts were poor, and he soon returned to the bench.

It is clear that Dortmund's attack transforms when Silva plays instead of Guirassy. With the Portuguese in the starting XI, BVB's front line flows more smoothly and becomes harder to predict, while the Guinean is employed almost solely as a target man, feeding on a steady diet of long balls and crosses.

Yet, much like Guirassy at times, Silva often found himself isolated in the air during his starts, particularly in the almost chronically weak first halves that Borussia put in over the course of the season. This is not solely, but also partly, down to the simple fact that, as a substitute brought on towards the end of a match, one usually faces more tired opponents and finds greater space opening up.

"Of course, as a striker, scoring is important—that's the best feeling," Silva explained. "Sometimes things don't work out, sometimes you need more time. At certain moments this season, creating goals was more important. I think everyone can see from the way I play that I can help the team. I'm very happy with my performance and what I can offer."

He certainly could be. Around three weeks ago, Niko Kovac noted that the player was making good progress. "For what feels like three or four weeks now, I've seen a Fabio in training who has really stepped it up a gear. I can see some really significant progress."

After Silva's goal in Sunday's 4-0 win over Freiburg, the coach said: "He was missing physicality, so we worked intensively on that. It takes time; a few runs in the woods don't make you Bundesliga-ready. As his fitness improves, so does his ability to perform in the league."

Thanks to his profile, Silva fits well into BVB's new, more attack-minded approach, especially as ongoing rumours mean Guirassy's future is likely to be discussed in the next transfer window.

Nevertheless, Dortmund still need more goals from Silva; that is non-negotiable for a striker. Three goals in 36 competitive matches, at an average of 32 minutes per outing, are not enough. Yet the fact that he is involved in a goal every 115 minutes, given that limited playing time, remains impressive. That is the crux: both perspectives have merit.