Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben is close to ending his injury misery as he has returned to first team training at Sabener Strasse.
Injury woes have become a constant theme for Bayern Munich in the past few seasons. This is particularly true for veteran Arjen Robben, who seems to always find himself sidelined with a knock or some sort of ailment.
The Dutchman has lately been struggling with a recurring thigh injury that has kept him out since November. There was even a genuine concern that he might not play for Bayern again this season.
Robben expressed his frustration with this strange injury just last week. He suffered a couple of setbacks after resuming training on the pitch, as the cause of his injury remained a mystery. However, there was a big breakthrough this week when the root of Robben’s injury was discovered. According to Bild, the Dutchman’s recent injury problems all stemmed from a tooth infection that has now been taken care of.
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Bayern will be without Kingsley Coman for a few weeks, so the news of Robben’s return will give Niko Kovac some much-needed good news heading into the Champions League game against Liverpool in just under two weeks. Bayern will be hoping that Robben is involved against Wolfsburg next weekend to help him get some match fitness. This weekend’s clash against Borussia Monchengladbach comes a bit too soon for him, unfortunately.
Robben has steadily declined over the past few seasons, but he still has the ability to deliver lethal performances in big games for Bayern. His experience will be important for the Bavarians when they face Liverpool at the Allianz Arena. Bayern did well to grind out a 0-0 draw in the first leg, but they will have to be more adventurous in the final third in the second leg. Robben can provide the extra bit of incisiveness in attack that they lacked at Anfield.
This is going to be Robben’s last season at Bayern Munich as he is set to leave as a free agent in the summer. Die Roten are moving into a new era and have no intention to keep some veteran players beyond this summer. They have already started taking concrete steps to bring in young talent to replace their aging veterans.
Robben has been a fine player for Die Roten during his ten years at the club, and it would have been a massive shame if his last few months in Munich were spent in the medical room. He can still play a vital role in deciding Bayern’s fate in both the Bundesliga and Champions League, so his return is a big boost to Niko Kovac’s plans for the upcoming tough games. It would be quite fitting if he ended the season with multiple trophies after going through a tough time with this injury throughout the past three months.