Lars Ricken's praise and Borussia Dortmund's attacking injuries have put Mathis Albert in line for a bigger role sooner than expected. SPORT1 reports that a Champions League debut in Baku on Tuesday at 18.45 is possible, after the teenager's 20-minute cameo against Union Berlin was his longest Bundesliga outing yet.

Dortmund's injury problem

Konstantinos Karetsas is the second attacking player ruled out after Giannis Konstantelias, and that leaves Borussia Dortmund short of creativity for the next two matches against Sabah FA and Eintracht Frankfurt. Dortmund are second in the Bundesliga with 14 points from 6 games, and they sit 11th in the Champions League with 6 points from 3 matches, so the margins for selection decisions are not tiny.

Ricken, speaking to SPORT1 in comments translated from German, said: "In a game like that, which was relatively disjointed, coming on is of course not easy for such a young player." He added: "We have a great talent in our ranks there, who can occasionally cause a sensation for us as well."

The club have barely used Albert this season. He has made 1 Bundesliga appearance and played 20 Bundesliga minutes, while he still has 0 Champions League appearances. That is why Baku stands out as a real chance for a first European outing, not a guarantee, and Ricken's public backing suggests Dortmund are comfortable asking more of him now.

Albert's rise has been quick

Ricken also pointed to the wider rise around Albert, saying: "That he is a good, talented player, we have not known only recently. When we signed Mathis, basically all the big teams were after him. Through his appearances in the national team, he has of course moved even more into focus."

The timeline has moved fast. Albert made his Bundesliga debut at 16 in the 4-0 win against Freiburg last season, then played the full distance against HEBC Hamburg in the first round of the DFB-Pokal. Mauricio Pochettino later called him into the senior US squad for the first time during the previous international break, and Albert answered with an assist on his debut and a record-breaking goal in his second appearance before Cavan Sullivan overtook him five days later.

Even with that pace, Dortmund have not rushed him. The 20-minute Union Berlin appearance was the longest he had played in the Bundesliga, and the next step could come on Tuesday in Baku if Dortmund decide to use him again.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →