A return to play means a return to injuries.
Borussia Dortmund announced that defender Dan-Axel Zagadou has suffered a strain of the lateral collateral ligament in his left knee during training, meaning he could miss time should the Bundesliga return to action in the coming weeks as hoped.
Dortmund players have been training in small groups as clubs across the German top flight have returned to action with their clubs hoping to get players fit for a return to play soon. With social distancing rules still in effect, the players are training in pairs with the league en route to a possible return to play in May.
No timetable was given for the injury, but the club release did state that Zagadou will now rehab “in the coming weeks” to hopefully return with his team before the end of the season.
Just 20 years old, Zagadou has earned a place in the Dortmund starting lineup through the second half of the campaign, spending much of the first three months on the bench before earning a starting role in late November. A French youth international, Zagadou joined Dortmund in the summer of 2017 from Paris Saint-Germain’s youth setup.
Zagadou has helped Dortmund to a title challenge in the Bundesliga this season, although the defensive setup has been the club’s weakness all campaign, having conceded 33 goals this season, the most of any club in the league’s top five. Still, before the coronavirus shutdown, Zagadou and fellow center-backs Mats Hummels and Lukasz Piszczek had found their stride, conceding just one goal in the final four league games ahead of the stoppage. Dortmund currently sits four points behind leaders Bayern Munich.
