Moukoko out for the season

Moukoko, who is the Bundesliga's youngest player and goalscorer, did not feature for the U21s during the March international break after picking up the injury in training. He had been set to become the team's greenest debutant.

"The injury is worse than initially feared," admitted Germany U21 coach Stefan Kuntz. "We have to let the healing process run its course."

The news brings a premature end to an otherwise memorable chapter in Moukoko's nascent career.

Having first played with Dortmund's U17s aged 13, their U19s aged 14, and after a total of 127 goals and 26 assists in just 84 appearances in all competitions for BVB at youth level, the Cameroon-born striker was promoted to first-team training in January 2020, some 11 months before his 16th birthday.

He scored 13 goals in four U19 games whilst waiting to be eligible for his pro debut, before becoming the Bundesliga's youngest ever debutant when he replaced Erling Haaland in Dortmund's 5-2 drubbing of Hertha Berlin just a day after turning 16 in November 2020.

Aged 16 years and 28 days, Moukoko marked his first start by becoming the youngest goalscorer in Bundesliga history with his strike against Union Berlin.

Watch: Youssoufa Moukoko becomes the youngest goalscorer in Bundesliga history!

Further goals against Freiburg and Hertha took his Bundesliga tally to three in 14 outings, while his cameo against Zenit Saint Petersburg made him the UEFA Champions League's youngest player, at 16 years and 19 days of age.

The 2021/22 season will be Moukoko's first full campaign with the Dortmund seniors.