Bundesliga victory over Hamburger SV. The 23-year-old will consequently miss several months of action, confirming Dortmund's worst fears after Konstantelias was forced off shortly after the restart at the Westfalenstadion.
Get German Football News reported immediately after the match that Dortmund feared a potentially serious knee injury after the Greek international caught his leg awkwardly during a midfield challenge with Bakery Jatta. Subsequent examinations on Sunday confirmed the ACL tear.
The diagnosis brings a particularly cruel end to what had otherwise been an excellent week for Dortmund's €26m summer signing. Konstantelias earned his first Bundesliga start after impressing against Bayern Munich in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup and produced one of BVB's strongest individual performances against HSV.
The former PAOK attacker scored Dortmund's second goal shortly before half-time and earned strong marks in our BVB-HSV player ratings before suffering the injury early in the second half.
"This news has hit us very hard because Giannis has already shown in a very short period why we see him as a great player for Borussia Dortmund," Managing Director for Sport Lars Ricken noted in a club statement. "For now, however, his and our focus is entirely on his recovery. Giannis has our full support."
Head coach Niko Kovač had already indicated after Saturday's match that a lengthy absence could force Dortmund to reconsider their plans during the closing stages of the transfer window . Dortmund must therefore decide whether Konstantelias' long-term absence necessitates another late attacking addition before the summer window closes.
