Ramy Bensebaini suffers painful thigh knock in Borussia Dortmund victory over Frankfurt

Ramy Bensebaini picked up a painful thigh knock during Borussia Dortmund’s 1-0 Bundesliga victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, although head coach Niko Kovač is not expecting the incident to cause significant long-term problems.

The Algerian defender visibly struggled during the closing stages at Signal Iduna Park after suffering what is commonly known in German football as a Pferdekuss, a painful impact injury caused by a direct blow to the thigh.

Speaking to Sky after the match, Kovač explained the nature of the problem and acknowledged the discomfort experienced by his defender.

“He suffered a dead leg. When you get a knee into your thigh, into the tractus, it hurts enormously,” the Dortmund manager said.

Cup suspension gives Bensebaini time to recover

Despite the concern surrounding Bensebaini’s condition, Kovač indicated that the defender would have an opportunity to rest before Dortmund’s next Bundesliga fixture.

The 31-year-old is already suspended for Tuesday’s DFB-Pokal second-round meeting with Werder Bremen following his red card in the German Super Cup.

“Because he is suspended for the cup, he can rest a little,” Kovač added.

The enforced absence means Dortmund will not need to make an immediate decision about his availability for the cup encounter. However, the club will continue monitoring his condition ahead of its subsequent fixtures.

Dortmund secure important Bundesliga victory

Bensebaini helped Dortmund keep a clean sheet as they claimed a narrow victory over Frankfurt, with substitute Maximilian Beier scoring the decisive goal in the 80th minute.

The result moved Dortmund provisionally to the top of the Bundesliga table with 17 points from seven matches.

For now, the initial assessment suggests that Bensebaini’s injury is a painful knock rather than an established serious injury. His recovery over the coming days should provide a clearer indication of whether he will be fully available for Dortmund’s next league assignment.

With the defender already ruled out of the cup through suspension, Dortmund will hope the additional rest allows him to recover without further complications.