Kovač explains decision to sub Arsenal loanee Nwaneri on and off against Villarreal

Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovač has explained why he decided to both bring Ethan Nwaneri on and take him off during Tuesday's 3-2 win over Villarreal.

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After coming on for Konstantinos Karetsas in the 27th minute of Borussia Dortmund's 3-2 Champions League win over Villarreal on Tuesday, Ethan Nwaneri was substituted again in the closing stages.

As BVB coach Niko Kovač explained after the game, the decision to take the Arsenal loanee off was related to his workload and the situation late in the game, with Dortmund defending a lead.

“He gave everything. If he had started the game, he probably would have come off around the 60th minute,” Kovač said.

He added that the decision had “nothing” to do with the 19-year-old's performance.

“Quite the opposite, he was really good,” Kovač underlined.

“It was great that he was able to have an impact on the team in such a short time.”

Nwaneri wasn't directly involved in any of Dortmund's goals, but he took six shots after coming on and even hit the post with one of them.