Bayerns Badstuber back after 14-month absence

09 February 2014 14:17

Bayern Munich's German international defender Holger Badstuber returned to training on Sunday after 14 months out with a knee injury which needed four operations.

The 24-year-old completed his first running session since tearing his cruciate knee ligament in December 2012.

His return had been further delayed after he tore the same ligament last year while undergoing rehabilitation treatment.

"To be able to walk on the pitch for the first time in seven months is an amazing feeling," said Badstuber after a 15-minute running session with Bayern's fitness coach Thomas Wilhelmi.

The Bayern squad paused to applaud Badstuber as he jogged past at the club's Sabener Strasse training ground in Munich, the day after the European champions' 2-0 win at Nuremberg.

Badstuber has not been told when he can play again and is not expected to play in the rest of this season's Bundesliga which effectively rules him out of contention for the German squad at June's World Cup finals.

Badstuber, who won the last of his 30 caps in the 4-4 draw against Sweden in October 2012, was a member of the squads which reached the semi-finals of both the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012.

Source: AFP