Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovac is keeping his fingers crossed that striker Serhou Guirassy has avoided a serious injury after limping off during Wednesday night's 2-1 Champions League victory over Real Betis. The forward sustained a first-half thigh problem as the German hosts halted the Spanish visitors' perfect European record.
Kovac faced an anxious wait over his striker's fitness despite watching his side draw level with Betis on nine points from four Champions League matches. Guirassy initially collided awkwardly with the near post after slipping near the six-yard box while stretching for a third-minute cross. Having attempted to play through the pain before dropping to the turf clutching his thigh in the 29th minute, he made way for 18-year-old Konstantinos Karetsas five minutes later.
Second-half goals from former Wolves forward Fabio Silva - tapping home the rebound in the 49th minute after keeper Alvaro Valles saved England Under-21 midfielder Jobe Bellingham's effort with his foot - and Karetsas in the 72nd minute from Silva's pass sealed the points . Although Betis substitute Aitor Ruibal had equalised in the 67th minute from Abde Ezzalzouli's low cross before Valles denied Bellingham's diving header and Nico Schlotterbeck nodded over, attention afterwards centred on Guirassy.
Addressing the striker's condition after the final whistle, Kovac said: "I spoke to him briefly. He felt something in his thigh. Hopefully, nothing is damaged. We'll have to see what's going on and whether it's more than a strain, which I don't actually think it is."
Handing the visitors their first defeat after three straight European victories, Dortmund showed plenty of attacking resilience even after losing their starting centre-forward before the interval.
Dortmund sporting director Ole Book shared a similarly encouraging initial diagnosis with his manager after the match, adding: "It's a muscular injury." However, he was still running around fairly normally, so I'm hopeful that it's nothing serious."
Guirassy now faces a race against time to be fit for Saturday's Bundesliga clash against SV Elversberg , which marks Dortmund's final outing prior to the November international break. Sitting second in the domestic standings and trailing leaders Bayern Munich purely on goal difference, Kovac's men cannot afford to slip up before domestic action pauses. Once European football resumes on November 24, Dortmund travel to 2025-26 runners-up Arsenal while Betis visit bottom club Slovan Bratislava.
