Munich: Bayern Munich welcomed playmaker Arjen Robben back to training on Thursday for the first time since the flying Dutchman returned from South Africa's World Cup with a torn hamstring.
In driving snow at Bayern's training ground, the 26-year-old joined the squad for full training for the first time this season and hopes to play his first game back against Wolfsburg on January 15.
"That was great!", he beamed after the 75-minute session which saw Robben and forward partner Franck Ribery firing in crosses from the wings.
"I’m part of the team again, I’ve worked towards this for a long time.”
"Being back out on the pitch with the lads is an indescribable feeling."
After reporting back in Munich following July's World Cup, Robben was diagnosed with a five-centimetre hamstring tear and has been unable to train at all for three months.
He resumed jogging in early November, but admitted he still faces a lot of work before he is fully fit.
"I’m not 100 percent yet, obviously, I still have a lot of work ahead of me," he said with Bayern set to face Stuttgart in the league on Sunday.
The Dutch ace will step up his fitness workload after the mid-season break, which begins on Sunday, when Bayern hold their training camp in Qatar from January 2-9.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, December 17, 2010, 09:33