Borussia Dortmund’s right-back options have become severely limited after Julian Ryerson was forced off during Norway’s UEFA Nations League match against Portugal on Sunday. The 28-year-old sustained an injury following a collision with Francisco Conceição and had to be substituted in the 66th minute.
Ryerson’s absence leaves Dortmund with no natural replacement at right-back within their first-team squad. Their Brazilian right-back Yan Couto was loaned out to Como over the summer, removing another option from the roster. Dortmund’s sporting director Nils Ole Book acknowledged the situation in an interview with Ruhr Nachrichten, saying, “Yes, we are certainly not overly well-stocked in terms of squad depth at the moment.”
Book added that the club’s next moves could depend on player departures. “That’s why a lot is possible. However, it could also be that we first need to see a departure before making another signing,” he said.
During the recent transfer window, Dortmund were linked with 20-year-old Héctor Fort, but the young defender joined Real Sociedad instead. This leaves Dortmund with limited choices at right-back going forward.
One alternative mentioned by sources is switching left-back Daniel Svensson across to the right side to cover for Ryerson. However, this would leave a gap in the left-back position, forcing manager Edin Terzić to make further adjustments.
Ryerson’s injury comes at a time when Dortmund’s squad depth is already stretched. The club’s reluctance to make immediate signings without first seeing a player leave suggests the situation could remain unresolved for a while.
As of now, Dortmund have not released any official statement regarding the expected duration of Ryerson’s absence or the severity of the injury. The club will need to assess their options carefully ahead of upcoming Bundesliga fixtures.
According to Yahoo Sports.
