24 hours ago, Yan Couto’s season threatened to be over before he had completed a single game. In the dying seconds of Borussia Dortmund’s match against Rot-Weiss Essen in the first round of the DFB Pokal, Essen winger Kelsey Uwusu flew into a challenge in an incredibly reckless manner. His studs were nowhere near the ball and drove right into the vulnerable area of Couto’s knee. It should’ve been a red card, but more importantly, it seemed at the time that Uwusu had seriously injured the Brazilian.
Former Bundesliga referee Manuel Gräfe broke down on Twitter why the tackle was clearly a red card:
Thankfully, it seems that Couto avoided the worst. An MRI today revealed no structural damage; just some nasty bruising. With fingers crossed, Couto should be ready to play on Saturday.
So BVB dodged a bullet, but this just goes to show how precarious the club’s situation is. They may have gotten lucky this time, but over the course of a full football season, injuries are bound to happen. The club has less than two weeks to add some depth or else things are going to get very hairy.
