Borussia Dortmund Suffer Major Blow as New Signing Giannis Konstantelias Tears ACL

Borussia Dortmund have confirmed the worst for new signing Giannis Konstantelias. The Greek midfielder has torn his ACL and will be out for several months, just days after joining the club.

Konstantelias picked up the injury during his Bundesliga debut on Saturday, as Dortmund beat Hamburger SV 2-0 to open their season. 

He had already made his mark before the injury, scoring his first goal for the club in first-half stoppage time. But things went wrong early in the second half when he twisted his knee in what looked like a fairly routine challenge. He managed to walk off under his own power after lengthy treatment, though the reaction from him and the coaching staff suggested it was serious.

That fear was confirmed on Sunday when the club announced on their website that he had suffered a torn cruciate ligament in his left knee. 

The 23-year-old only arrived at Dortmund recently in a deal worth €26 million from PAOK Saloniki, making the timing especially painful.

BVB's Managing Director of Sports, Lars Ricken, didn't hold back on how much the news stings. "This news hits us hard, because Giannis has already shown in a very short time why we see him as a great player for Borussia Dortmund," he said. "For now, however, his and our focus is on his recovery. Giannis has our full support."

The club posted a message of support on X too, telling him the "entire BVB family" is behind him and that he'll come back stronger.

Dortmund's next game is away at HEBC Hamburg in the DFB-Pokal on September 1, and it will be their first match since losing their new signing to injury.