Gio Reyna looked to have found his groove with Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga club’s return to action this winter, but after not featuring in each of the last three matches, Dortmund boss Edin Terzic is hoping Reyna remains hopeful.
Reyna has been an unused substitute in each of Borussia Dortmund’s last three matches in all competitions, watching from the sidelines as the Bundesliga title chasers have continued their winning run. Borussia Dortmund has won nine-consecutive matches in all competitions in the calendar year, advancing in the German Cup, placing one foot into the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, and staying level with defending Bundesliga winners, Bayern Munich.
The 20-year-old Reyna came off the bench in victories over Augsburg, Mainz, and Freiburg, scoring on all three occasions, giving the U.S. men’s national team attacker a boost of confidence after a limited role at the FIFA World Cup.
Despite playing the hero in two of Dortmund’s victories during that stretch, Terzic has opted to not use Reyna in the recent run of matches, in hopes of keeping him injury free down the stretch of the season. Terzic still has plenty of expectations for Reyna’s long-term future at Borussia Dortmund, but expects Reyna to stay focused for his next opportunity to impact the squad.
“Gio has always suffered setbacks,” Terzic said in Thursday’s pre-match press conference. “He was injured once with the national team. He has made a few short appearances, played from the start against Bremen, and had no playing time in the last three games.
“He knows what we expect from him. But we also know what he can give us. He has to be diligent and patient.”
Reyna will be pushing to feature in Borussia Dortmund’s next slate of matches, especially with some key ones on the horizon. Borussia Dortmund visits RB Leipzig on Friday before traveling to Chelsea next week in its second leg Round of 16 showdown.
With only four matches until the FIFA international break, Reyna has limited opportunities to gain some confidence before a possible USMNT inclusion for Concacaf Nations League matches.
