Bundesliga News: Michael Ballack returns for Leverkusen after injury
German captain, Michael Ballack, has finally recovered from his prolonged shinbone injury and is set to return to the starting team for Leverkusen for the upcoming match against Hannover.
The star has been out of action since September, missing out on a great part of the season. Ballack was glad on his return to the pitch and said that he was looking forward to play in the practice matches.
The midfielder said, "No test and no training can give you the fitness you get in a match.”
After waiting on the sidelines for a long period of time, Ballack was not expected to receive much of playing time, as the Factory Squad, has been exceptionally good without the key player. Initial reports suggested that the attacking midfielder might be on his way out of Leverkusen, as Wolfsburg were desperately looking for a midfielder. The http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Wolves-c40952 were also keen to take this opportunity, as they could’ve formulated a cheap deal for the injured winger.
However, despite the initial misunderstandings between Ballack and team officials, the midfielder played well in the match against Hannover in the 2nd half as a substitute, gaining the support of the coach. Ballack convinced Heynckes that he is confident enough to enter the field as a part of the starting team. Heynckes team won the match 2-0.
Talking to the reporters after the match, Ballack said, "I'm glad I played and got the confidence from the coach. I wasn't sure where I stood. The coach believed in me. I had been injured a long time, but there were no problems."
The coach, commenting on the German captain’s return said, "Michael Ballack has helped the team and played very confidently, exactly what I expected."
Leverkusen, currently the 2nd place Bundesliga outfit, are looking forward to a much stronger campaign with the return of http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Michael-Ballack-c25270, but are possibly out of the Bundesliga title race, suffering an 11-point deficit to the top of the table Borussia Dortmund.
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