Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has explained why teenage star Reinier has yet to start a match for the club since his loan switch from Real Madrid.
The 18-year-old is said to be the latest jewel to emerge from Brazilian football and is widely tipped to have a big future ahead of him at the top level after joining Madrid from Flamengo in January, and he could dominate Real Madrid news in future years.
He joined Dortmund on a two-year loan deal in the summer transfer window but has yet to make a start for the club, although he has appeared in seven substitute appearances.
Zorc referenced the player’s physique in an interview with Ruhr Nachrichten in quotes carried by Marca: “For months he could hardly train and he could not play in Spain.
“The physical problem is still there, so it makes sense for him to take advantage of these games (Brazil Under-23 matches this month).”
Reinier only debuted for Flamengo – who won the Copa Libertadores in 2019 along with the Brazilian top-flight – last year but scored six goals in just eight starts in the league.
The Brazilian youth star has a long-term contract in the Spanish capital until the summer of 2027.
