Schlotterbeck on BVB comeback: „A long haul“ | OneFootball

After his serious injury, Nico Schlotterbeck is continuing to work on his comeback at BVB. Now the Germany international has provided an update on his rehab.

Borussia Dortmund still have to do without Nico Schlotterbeck. The center-back is working on his return after the ankle injury he suffered at the World Cup. However, it remains unclear when the 26-year-old will be able to get back on the pitch for BVB. Schlotterbeck himself is now indicating that a little more patience will be needed. The Germany international suffered a torn inner ligament in his ankle in the second World Cup group match against Ivory Coast.

Particularly bitter: although Schlotterbeck was injured early on, he initially kept playing and was only substituted at half-time. Looking back, the Dortmund man admits that he initially misjudged the severity of the injury. “It was no minor thing at the World Cup,” Schlotterbeck said on the sidelines of the Formula 1 race in Zandvoort in comments to Sky. “At first I thought it wasn’t that bad, so I kept playing.”

Originally, after the diagnosis, the expected layoff was said to be around three months. The international break at the end of September was therefore seen as a possible target for his return. However, whether that timetable can actually be met now appears increasingly doubtful.

Schlotterbeck’s BVB comeback still open

In any case, Schlotterbeck does not want to commit to a specific date for his comeback. “It’s simply a lengthy process,” the defender said about his current condition. Together with BVB’s physiotherapists and rehab coaches, he is working intensively to become fully fit again.

Photo: IMAGO

The main focus, apparently, is on avoiding any unnecessary time pressure. “We have to take it day by day. We’re trying to let it heal properly and do good work with the physios and rehab coaches,” Schlotterbeck said, describing the approach during his rehabilitation.

Still, the BVB star did not leave Dortmund supporters without a positive message. Looking ahead to his return, Schlotterbeck sounded cautiously optimistic: “Then I believe it won’t be much longer.” For Borussia Dortmund, that means they will have to wait and see for now when the important center-back will be available again. The club had also recently emphasized that a reliable prognosis is currently hardly possible.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.