Karetsas set to return into Dortmund squad from circulatory problems

Konstantinos Karetsas has overcome circulatory problems and is available for Borussia Dortmund for Saturday’s Bundesliga match at VfB Stuttgart, coach Niko Kovač has said.

Karetsas was carried off the pitch on a stretcher during last week’s Champions League match against Villarreal and taken to hospital for tests.

He returned to team training on Wednesday and Kovač said on Thursday that he will travel to Stuttgart as part of the squad unless something happens until then.

“He is doing well, that is the most important thing,” Kovač said.

When you experience something like that, it is certainly still in the back of your mind. But I see from day to day that he is becoming freer and thinking about it less and less. He is positive, laughs and enjoys training. That is a good prerequisite for processing and forgetting all of this.”

Kovač also said that Nico Schlotterbeck and Ramy Bensebaini are fit to play after making their comebacks from injury last weekend against Paderborn, a game that Karetsas missed.

Dortmund travel to Stuttgart with a maximum nine points from their first three matches, trailing Bundesliga leaders Freiburg only on goal difference. Stuttgart, who finished two places behind Dortmund in fourth last season, have three points in 14th.