Shinji Kagawa will return to Borussia Dortmund after suffering a head injury while on international duty with Japan. The 25-year-old suffered the knock in his national side's 1-0 win over Jamaica in a friendly on Friday, but the injury is not thought to be serious.
'The problem does not appear to be serious'
- Official club statement
The injury came in the first half of the game in Niigata, but he remained on the field until the final minute - a move that is sure to add fuel to the flames in the recent discussions about head injuries, after a similar incident occured with Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtios. Kagawa later complained of dizziness and was taken to hospital, but a statement on Dortmund's official website on Saturday announced that although the player may have had a slight concussion, the problem 'does not appear to be serious'.
Javier Aguirre, Japan's coach, has allowed the midfielder to return to Germany and his domestic club, meaning he will miss Japan's friendly against Brazil in Singapore next Tuesday, which he waits for the all-clear from Dortmund's medical staff.
Coach Jurgen Klopp will be hoping this is sooner rather than later, and that the injury is far from serious, as he starts to see his injury list shorten. Players such as Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Marco Reus and Ilkay Gundogan are expected to return for the visit to face 1. FC Köln in the Bundesliga next weekend. After a disastrous start to the campaign, the sudden return of key figures will be a real boost around the club.