Fabio Silva is set to spend weeks on the sidelines as a persistent muscle injury deprived him of his Bundesliga debut last week.

Fabio Silva out for four weeks Player struggling with injuryDortmund unaware about injury's severityFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Dortmund signed Silva in a €20m (£17m/$23m) deal from Premier League side Wolves at the end of the summer window. The Portuguese striker was set to make his debut in Dortmund's win over Union Berlin but complications arose as the club found out about the severity of his injury. The 23-year-old has now been ruled out for four weeks with adductor problem, which the club was reportedly unaware of before signing him.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Silva was signed by Wolves from Porto in 2020 but was not able to make much impression under then manager Gary O'Neil and was sent out on loan to Anderlecht, PSV, Rangers and Las Palmas before his permanent switch to Germany. The Bundesliga club signed him as backup for Serhou Guirassy but this transition will now take time as Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl claims the club are unaware of his return date.

WHAT KEHL SAID

Kehl on Silva's injury crisis said: "Fabio suffered a muscle injury in the summer and is still recovering. Therefore, he and we will use the international break to get him fit enough to help us. We'll have to see how long it takes."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR DORTMUND?

According to Silva could be out for a month with the injury, meaning coach Niko Kovac will have to rely on his "life-insurance", Guirassy, and youngster Maximilian Beier to lead the attack. Dortmund are set to Heidenheim next in the league before they face Juventus in their Champions League opening fixture on September 17.