Kovac confirms Karetsas still sidelined and warns Dortmund about Füllkrug ahead of Werder DFB-Pokal tie

Karetsas not ready to return

Having returned to winning ways with victories over Sabah FC 2-1 and Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0, Borussia Dortmund will look to extend their run when they face Werder Bremen in the second round of the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday.

As BVB coach Niko Kovac confirmed on Monday, youngster Konstantinos Karetsas remains sidelined with the ligament injury he suffered during a 0-0 draw with 1. FC Union Berlin just over a week ago.

“He’s not ready to play yet. I’ve just seen him. He’s at the very beginning of being able to walk in a straight line. He’s positive, which makes me happy. We’ll obviously see how things develop for the next few games,” Kovac said.

Füllkrug warning after 2-2 Bundesliga draw

Two and a half weeks on from Dortmund’s 2-2 draw with Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga, Kovac warned his side about former BVB forward Niclas Füllkrug, who scored a late equaliser in that encounter.

“He’s the one who stands out because of his goals. He’s a very good player – otherwise, he wouldn’t have become an international. He’s not easy to keep quiet. He’s very dominant at set pieces, and he’s the player everyone looks for,” Kovac said of Füllkrug, who currently leads the Bundesliga scoring charts with eight goals.

Focus on the next step

Dortmund last reached the DFB-Pokal final in May 2021 and will be hoping to return to Berlin this season. Kovac underlined that it’s too early to look that far ahead.

“We’re playing at home, which is certainly an advantage. We can’t start thinking about Berlin just yet,” Kovac said. “Tomorrow is the next step. First, we have to take this one before we’re allowed to take the next.”