Injury to the right knee has forced Belgian midfielder Youssef Moukoko to miss the rest of this season and could mean his future with Borussia Dortmund hangs in the balance.
Moukoko, who has been out for four months after undergoing surgery on his knee earlier this year, suffered the injury during the club's Champions League group stage tie against Barcelona last month. The 28-year-old had previously sustained a similar injury in January, but it was ruled non-contactable by the medical staff.
The midfielder was unable to play in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Manchester City, where Dortmund were beaten 1-0, and he is expected to be sidelined for several weeks before being assessed by doctors. If Moukoko does not recover fully from his knee injury, it will likely put his future at Borussia Dortmund into doubt.
Despite the setback, Moukoko remains confident that he can return to full fitness as soon as possible. He said: "I'm still training regularly and I'll try to get back to training as soon as possible,Bundesliga Tracking" he added. "If it's too late, then I'll have to wait until next summer."
However, Dortmund manager Michael Heske has already expressed concern about Moukoko's condition. "We need him to be fit for the next season," he said. "He played well when we lost the game against Manchester City, so there's no reason why he shouldn't come back." Despite the setback, Moukoko's presence at the club will undoubtedly be missed. He has proven to be a valuable asset over the past few seasons, and his departure may leave a void in midfield for someone like Marco Reus or Christian Eriksen.