The End of the Hardship: Bayern Star Oberdorf Returns | OneFootball

For a long time, Lena Oberdorf had to watch from the sidelines, but now her comeback is drawing nearer. The national team player is once again participating in some training sessions with the Bayern women’s team—and aims to return fully to team training by the end of the month.

After the past few months, the signs are unusually positive: Oberdorf is now once again participating in parts of the training sessions with the double champions. For the 24-year-old, this is an important step back—after a difficult period that could hardly have been more grueling.

Since joining FC Bayern, the midfielder has torn her cruciate ligament twice, most recently in October 2025. She is all the more relieved that her knee has recently stopped causing her any concern.

“So I’m just enjoying being on the field. You always have to see how the knee reacts. But I’m on the right track,” Oberdorf said on Thursday.

Currently, she’s still training as a “neutral player on the field without physical contact. But I think I’ll keep this up for another week and a half and then rejoin the team fully.”

Oberdorf is deliberately not putting pressure on herself

The national team player is deliberately avoiding naming a specific return date following her two serious injuries. “I don’t want to put any pressure on myself by saying I want to be fit for this game or that game. You have to see how the knee feels and then just take things as they come,” she emphasized.

That’s why next year’s World Cup isn’t a factor for Oberdorf just yet. “That’s still too far off. Right now, it’s about getting back to my best with Bayern. First, I need to get back to performing at my best, to become a key player again—and this time, I’m going to take the time to do that.” Coach José Barcala also urges patience: “Lena is a key player for us. But we have to take it step by step now and not push her too hard too soon.”

Photo: IMAGO

Gwinn is still out for the Bayern women’s team

Giulia Gwinn, on the other hand, will have to wait a little longer. The DFB captain underwent shoulder surgery at the end of May and is still in the middle of her rehabilitation. The 27-year-old was therefore already absent at the start of preseason training—and won’t be joining the Munich team on their trip to Japan next week either.

While Gwinn’s return is still a ways off, Oberdorf is close to fully rejoining training. She plans to take that step by the end of the month. She’s deliberately leaving open when she’ll play her first competitive match.