Dillon Berko handed first-team opportunity at Borussia Monchengladbach

Dillon Berko has suddenly moved closer to Borussia Monchengladbach’s first-team plans after the injury to Yukhym Konoplya.

What looked like a settled position in the squad has opened up again, and the 20-year-old may now benefit from the setback.

Konoplya suffered a partial medial ligament tear in his knee, and the early outlook suggests he could miss up to two months. That leaves Gladbach short on the right side of defense, with Joe Scally seen as the most obvious stopgap option. Yet Scally’s own situation is not fully settled either, after a delayed summer return and past transfer speculation.

For Berko, the timing could hardly be better. He came on early in the recent friendly against Essen and played well for a little over an hour, earning positive feedback from coach Eugen Polanski. Polanski said the youngster’s misfortune may become his opportunity, but he also made it clear that nothing will be handed to him.

The coach’s comment that Berko is not especially loud in training shows what still needs to improve. Still, the door is open now, and if Berko keeps performing, he could turn a preseason surprise into a real role this season.