Dortmund put Mussa Kaba’s long-term fitness first with planned pause

Borussia Dortmund have temporarily taken Mussa Kaba out of the firing line to protect their highly rated teenager from further injury problems.

The 17-year-old midfielder had been tipped for a big breakthrough in the Bundesliga this year but is now on a carefully managed recovery programme.

Kaba’s 2026 started brightly after Niko Kovac invited him to the winter training camp in Marbella, where he impressed enough to be considered for the game against Eintracht Frankfurt. Soon after, however, he suffered a ligament tear and then additional muscle issues following his return in February.

Medical staff and experts believe a recent growth spurt has left his body unbalanced, especially after logging more than 3,600 minutes for Dortmund and Germany’s youth teams last season. As a result, the club has decided to pause his first-team involvement and focus on targeted rehab work.

Kaba is currently training individually, with Dortmund using the international break to get him fully pain-free. U23 coach Daniel Rios stressed, “We won’t take any risks. He’s on the right path,” as the club aims to have him ready for a busy April and back in contention for both the U23s and potentially the senior side.