Alexandra Popp excited for Wolfsburg comeback after lengthy lay-off | OneFootball

After almost nine months out, Wolfsburg captain Alexandra Popp is on the verge of returning to the pitch.

The 30-year-old striker suffered a serious injury in April and recently opened up about her lengthy recovery process.

“I’m in full training and can already follow big forms of the game. At the moment we are in the process of finding the perfect stress control for me with the trainers and the medical staff,” she said.

“Basically, I see myself in very good shape, even if I’m still missing a few percentage points. The knee hasn’t shown any reaction so far so I’m just happy to be back on the pitch.

“I can’t say at this point whether it’s enough [to return against] Potsdam. We have to wait for the next few weeks and then discuss in detail in the team whether it makes sense – and if so, for how long.

“It doesn’t matter when the first minutes come and how many there will be: when the time comes, I will, as you know me, show 100 percent commitment.”

Popp then went on to give an emotional recount of how the lengthy spell on the sidelines affected her mentally.

“At the moment of diagnosis, such severe knee injuries are initially a shock. At first, you wonder if you’ll ever make it back into the team but I wouldn’t give up and worked my way back,” she said.

“The most difficult thing is always not being able to intervene. Being a spectator is tough, especially in moments when things might not have gone that well and you could have helped as a leading player on the field.

“But even with setbacks in rehab, when I saw myself further than I was, staying mentally up is often not easy. I also had to relearn the simplest things and automatisms, such as how to walk properly.”

Looking ahead in the season, Wolfsburg are still alive in the Women’s Champions League and DFB Pokal and currently sit third in the Frauen Bundesliga table meaning Popp has plenty to play for once she finally returns.

“The prospect of still being able to play a European Championship helped me mentally. So I didn’t allow myself a break and plodded through seven months in Wolfsburg,” she added.

“Now I’m fully involved again, I can push the team more easily and sometimes present them with challenges. I don’t have the feeling that I’ve lost my standing in the team in these months.

“We are still in the running in all three competitions. After the upheaval in the summer, that’s a lot more than you could have expected. The Chelsea [win] at the end [of 2021] gave everyone more self-confidence and showed what this team is made of.

“It’s just good to go into the break and come out with that feeling.”