Emre Can out for the rest of the season for Borussia Dortmund after sustaining injury in Der Klassiker
Borussia Dortmund have confirmed that captain Emre Can will be out for the rest of the current campaign after tearing the cruciate ligament in his left knee in the first half of the Black & Yellows’ Der Klassiker defeat.
Making his first start for Dortmund since their Matchday 19 victory away to Union Berlin, the defender - who had just worked his way back from a three-game exclusion with a thigh issue - must now return to the physio’s table once more.
In the 41st minute, Can stayed down after a collision with Bayern Munich’s Konrad Laimer, but was determined to continue. However, not six minutes later, he was replaced by Ramy Bensebaini, his knee issue deemed too problematic to play through.
Coach Niko Kovač discussed the incident after the match, explaining: “He gritted his teeth. But in the end, it didn’t work. You could see he’d picked up a knock. He tried once more to push through the pain as our captain, but he just couldn’t continue. That’s why we made a substitution.”
Later, in his post-match press conference, an emotional Kovač revealed how his captain was handling his injury, adding: “I spoke with Emre - his feeling isn’t a positive one.”
With Dortmund now having confirmed the seriousness of Can's injury, sporting director Sebastian Kehl shared his thoughts and summarised the mood in the BVB camp, saying: “Emre’s injury is extremely bitter. Not just for him, but for all of us. He is our captain; he always puts the team before himself, and is an important part of our club."
"Over the next few months, Emre will receive every possible support from us to ensure he makes a full recovery,” he added.
To make matters worse, Can's current contract with Die Schwarzgelben is set to expire at the end of the current campaign, and as such, it remains to be seen whether the No.23 will don the famous black-and-yellow strip of Dortmund again.
Regardless of Can's future at the the club, losing their captain to injury for the third time this season will be a huge blow for Dortmund, who – after suffering the 3-2 defeat in Der Klassiker to their title rivals Bayern – sit 11 points off the top spot in the race for the Meisterschale.
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