Borussia Dortmund have said Giovanni Reyna's injury is not as bad as initially feared.
Reyna was handed his first start for BVB since August against Borussia Monchengladbach on Sunday, having missed the majority of the 2021-22 campaign due to a serious hamstring injury. The 19-year-old looked lively in the first 30 minutes, but hobbled off in tears after going down while the hosts celebrated Marco Reus' opening goal.
Boss Marco Rose gave a pessimistic first update on the United States men's national team star, however further tests have revealed the player could return within a matter of weeks.
What's been said?
Rose was at first negative about the situation, saying Dortmund will be on hand to aid Reyna in his recovery to the best of their ability but admitting the initial indications were worrisome.
"Gio is really upset, you can see that in the pictures," the coach told reporters after his team's 6-0 victory.
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"We'll get the boy back and we'll give him all the support because we need him because he's an excellent athlete."
Rose added on the cruel nature of Reyna's latest injury to DAZN: "He's just gotten back from an injury, was in a really good mood, everyone was happy that he was back.
"It was important to have him on the pitch with his quality."
However, the club have since said worst-case fears "did not materialise after detailed diagnostics. The team doctors assume that the American will be able to take part in the team training again within 14 days.''
How long could Reyna be out?
Dortmund were able to confirm that Reyna's injury is not a serious one on Monday, with his team-mate Dan-Axel Zagadou set for a longer period out after suffering a knock in the same game.
"Unfortunately, Dan-Axel Zagadou tore a muscle fiber during yesterday’s match, however, Gio Reyna did not suffer a serious thigh injury," the club have written on Twitter.
Still, Rose's assessment suggests that he will be a doubt for the second leg of their Europa League round of 32 tie against Rangers on Thursday.
If he does sit that game out, the United States international, who has scored twice in just five Bundesliga appearances for BVB so far this season, could instead target a return when BVB travel to Augsburg three days later.
Supporters will hope that Reyna can get back on the pitch sooner rather than later to aid Dortmund's title push, as they now sit just six points behind leaders Bayern Munich with 13 games remaining.