Alex Freeman, the USMNT’s 22-year-old right back, came on at halftime in Villarreal’s 3-2 loss at Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 1 of the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League. Left winger George Bello, 24, started for Austria’s LASK in its 1-0 loss at AEK Athens. The post Americans Abroad: Freeman and Bello make UEFA Champions League debuts appeared first on Soccer America.
Karetsas was seen kicking the ball back to his team-mate before sitting down on the pitch in discomfort, with Dortmund medical staff coming onto the pitch to attend to the attacker.
Alexis Mac Allister admitted feeling "very sad" that Liverpool has yet to offer him a contract extension. Alexis Mac Allister addressed his contract situation at Liverpool, revealing that the club has not offered him an extension yet. The Argentine midfielder, who still has two years remaining on his current deal through June 2028, spoke to reporters ahead of the Reds‘ Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid at Anfield. “I received the news that the club wasn’t in a position to offer me a new contract, which, of course, makes me very, very sad,” Mac Allister said, pointing to his consistent effort in training and matches as reason to feel he deserved better clarity on his future. The situation carries an added sting given that two of his midfield teammates, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch, both signed contract extensions earlier this year. Mac Allister made clear he was happy for both players but admitted the contrast in how their situations were handled left him feeling overlooked, even as he reiterated his commitment to give his best for the club regardless of the outcome. A moment for Macca's #IPSLIV performance 👏🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/fCItal1hYF— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 7, 2026 Despite the frustration, Mac Allister insisted he has no intention of forcing a move away from Liverpool, noting that he turned down other options during the offseason to remain at Anfield. Amid the situation, new head coach Andoni Iraola backed the midfielder in response to his comments, stating that Mac Allister’s desire to stay at the club is what matters most and that he values his contributions highly heading into the new European campaign. The Real Madrid links that shadowed Mac Allister’s summer Mac Allister’s contract situation comes after a summer spent fending off transfer speculation, with Real Madrid repeatedly linked to the Argentine as a top target to strengthen their midfield, and Atletico Madrid also reportedly showing interest at one point. Real Madrid did not sign a player in his position during the summer window, and multiple reports in Spain suggested the club viewed him as a priority option for a future move. Despite the noise, Mac Allister’s father and agent, Carlos Mac Allister, insisted throughout the window that his son remained “totally focused on Liverpool,” a stance the player himself echoed this week by confirming he turned down the chance to leave Anfield over the offseason. Mac Allister’s numbers at Liverpool Since joining from Brighton in mid-2023, Mac Allister has made 152 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions, scoring 19 goals and adding 20 assists. He has picked up 32 yellow cards and one red card in that span, while playing a total of 11,144 minutes for the club. The 27-year-old has won two major trophies during his time at Anfield, including the 2024-25 Premier League title.
Borussia Dortmund released a statement addressing Konstantinos Karetsas' status after the player had to be stretchered off the field in the 26-27 UEFA Champions League debut. Konstantinos Karetsas was at the center of a concerning incident during the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League opening matchday, requiring a stretcher to leave the pitch due to a medical situation rather than a physical tackle. Following the alarming scene, Borussia Dortmund issued an official statement providing an update on the Greek international’s condition. With Dortmund hosting Villarreal at Signal Iduna Park, Karetsas was named to the starting lineup by head coach Niko Kovac before his abrupt exit in the opening half. The midfielder played a pass back toward his defense in the 23rd minute before immediately collapsing to the turf, prompting medical personnel to rush onto the field to evaluate him. Far from a structural or orthopedic issue, Karetsas motioned toward his abdominal region and was unable to walk off under his own power. After several minutes of evaluation on the pitch, the attacking midfielder was loaded onto a stretcher and removed in the 27th minute, raising immediate concern among supporters and staff regarding the underlying cause. While the match remained underway, Borussia Dortmund released a public statement addressing the player’s status: “Konstantinos Karetsas had to leave the field due to circulatory problems. Kosta is doing well under the circumstances and is on his way to the hospital for further tests.“ Konstantinos Karetsas had to leave the field due to circulatory problems. Kosta is doing well under the circumstances and is on his way to the hospital for further tests. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/WMYbxkdTEk— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) September 8, 2026 Prior to Tuesday’s scare, Karetsas had already drawn close monitoring from Dortmund’s medical staff. After starting in Saturday’s Bundesliga fixture against Hoffenheim, the 18-year-old missed Monday’s final pre-match training session leading up to the Villarreal clash due to fatigue symptoms. Despite the early disruption, Dortmund secured three points in their European opener with a 3-2 victory over Villarreal, highlighted by Serhou Guirassy converting an 85th-minute penalty before turning in a late 93rd-minute own goal. The German club will resume their Champions League schedule on October 14 against Bodo/Glimt, when medical staff hope to have Karetsas cleared for selection. Dortmund suffer setback from Greek duo Karetsas’ medical situation heightened anxiety across European soccer following recent heart-related scares across the continent, including Udinese’s Jakub Piotrowski and Napoli’s Scott McTominay undergoing cardiac ablation procedures for mild benign arrhythmia. While a full diagnosis for the midfielder remains pending, Dortmund face losing both members of their newly acquired Greek tandem in under a month. Back on August 29, during Dortmund’s Bundesliga opener against Hamburg, fellow Greek international Giannis Konstantelias suffered a major injury setback. The winger sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear that will keep him sidelined for the majority of the 2026-27 campaign, leaving both of BVB’s marquee summer additions unavailable for the foreseeable future.
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