Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben opens up about his struggles during his five-month battle against injuries.
The last few seasons have been very cruel for Bayern Munich in terms of losing key players to long term injuries. This season was no different for Die Roten, who were without some important players for long parts of the season. Corentin Tolisso suffered the most serious injury this season when he ruptured his ACL against Bayer Leverkusen in September, his first start of the season.
After Tolisso, Arjen Robben has spent the most time on the treatment table. The Dutchman has been struggling with numerous injuries since November and has previously expressed frustration with his situation as the cause of these recurring injuries were unknown.
However, Robben persisted with hard work and eventually recovered to be in the squad for Bayern’s game against Nurnberg. He remained an unused substitute for that match but eventually made his return against Hannover. In an interview with Bundesliga.com, Robben expressed his happiness about playing once again after such a long battle with injuries.
"“I can’t really describe it. I’m just really, really thankful.“It’s the only word that I can think of: thankful! I’ve done everything to get here. I’ve trained and fought really hard in the last weeks and months to get back to the pitch.”"
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The Dutch winger is set to leave Bayern after a successful period of ten years. It would have been a tame end to a brilliant career in Bavaria if Robben hadn’t completely recovered before the final game of the season. The 35-year-old winger is still lethal on his day and will surely contribute in his last few games for Bayern.
Robben is yet to make a decision about his next club. He has been heavily linked with Inter Milan in the last few months, but the Dutchman reportedly prefers a move to MLS.
PSV Eindhoven and FC Groningen are also reportedly interested in bringing Robben back to the Netherlands. His physical condition is likely to play a major role in his decision on his future.
The Dutchman has a chance of finishing his career at Bayern with two more trophies. Die Roten need only one win out of their remaining two Bundesliga games to retain the league title. The Bavarians have also booked their place in the DFB Pokal final and will face RB Leipzig. Robben is unlikely to start in any of the remaining games, but his minutres will surely increase with each passing match.
Bayern will have to spend a significant amount of money in the upcoming transfer window to find a good successor to Robben. The Dutchman was one of the senior players in the dressing room, so his absence will be felt off the pitch too. His playing time in Munich may soon be coming to an end, but it’s unlikely he’ll stay away from the club for too long. Instead, he’ll likely return to Bayern in the future to take on a more advanced role at the club.