18 July 2014 04:19
Bayern Munich defender Holger Badstuber is relishing his return to the pitch after 19 months on the sidelines with injury.
Badstuber, 25, has not made an appearance for Bayern since rupturing his cruciate ligament against rivals Borussia Dortmund at Allianz Arena in December 2012.
In that time, Badstuber suffered a setback in his recovery, with the Germany international reinjuring his knee in May last year, as Bayern have gone on to win seven trophies in his absence.
However, the forgotten man in Bavaria is finally ready to make his comeback against amateur team Red Baroons in Bayern’s first friendly of their pre-season campaign on Friday.
“Obviously I’m massively looking forward to it,” Badstuber told Bayern’s official website.
“It’s the kind of game where I can gain confidence, strength and stamina. It will do me good.”
An added bonus for Badstuber is the fact that Friday’s fixture will take place in his hometown of Memmingen.
“It’s terrific that I’ll be making my comeback there,” he said.
“We want to put on a show for the fans.”