“We won’t take any risks”: BVB wrap top talent in cotton wool | OneFootball

After a major growth spurt, a BVB talent is currently being held back. Borussia Dortmund are deliberately taking no risks and are carefully rebuilding the gem.

At Borussia Dortmund, one of the club’s biggest young talents is currently being deliberately held back. Mussa Kaba, just 17 years old, is to be developed step by step — not because he is seriously injured, but to prevent exactly that from happening. As Ruhr Nachrichten report, the defensive midfielder is suffering from muscular imbalances following a major growth spurt. These repeatedly cause discomfort and make carefully managed workload control necessary. As a result, the youngster is currently not an option for either the U23s or the first team.

Kaba actually could have played recently. Nevertheless, Dortmund’s decision-makers consciously chose against it and even left him out of several Regionalliga matches. Instead, he is currently following an individual recovery program. U23 coach Daniel Rios told Ruhr Nachrichten: “Mussa is currently in recovery training. We won’t take any risks. He is on a good path.”

The measure does not come as a surprise. Last season, Kaba completed an enormous workload of more than 3,600 minutes for club and national team. Combined with his physical growth, this now appears to be taking its toll. After a brief appearance in February and a start against RW Oberhausen, his body reacted again.

BVB slows down top talent: Kaba is being deliberately rested

The fact that BVB are acting so cautiously also has to do with Kaba’s exceptional profile. The 1.96-meter-tall midfielder not only brings physical advantages, but also recently impressed with the first team. In January, he was included in coach Niko Kovac’s squad for the Bundesliga match against Eintracht Frankfurt, having previously caught the eye at the training camp in Marbella with his game intelligence, technique and vision.

Photo: IMAGO

Internally, he is therefore held in very high regard. U23 sporting director Ingo Preuß raves: “Mussa moves like a silent stalker, he is everywhere. I like his ball control and, above all, his vision.”

In order not to jeopardize Kaba’s development, BVB are now following a clear plan: complete stabilization instead of a quick return. Rios stated the goal clearly: “We want to use the international break so that he becomes completely pain-free. The goal is for him to be an option again during the intense April schedule.” A comeback in April therefore appears possible.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.