Friday's 1-1 draw between Bayern II and Wacker Burghausen was less than both third division sides had wanted, but Willy Sagnol was perfectly happy afterwards. The right-back completed a 90-minute run-out for the first time since knee surgery last spring, thus taking a giant stride towards returning for the seniors.
"It was a very useful test," observed Michael Henke, who watched the game at the Grünwald stadium in Munich, "it was very sensible for Willy to take part." Sagnol managed 69 minutes last week against bottom club Oggersheim, but against Burghausen, rated by Henke as "a genuinely good third division team," the France star faced different calibre opposition. "It's only any good on the way back to the Bundesliga if you're properly stretched," Henke opined.
A good sign
Sagnol was equally satisfied after the match. The whole team had trouble finding a rhythm in the first half, he reported. "But I felt a lot better about it in the second half. I've completed 90 minutes but I'm not tired, and that's a good sign.“ The most important observation of all was health-related: "'The knee held up."
Henke personally reviewed the match with Sagnol on Saturday morning. "He hasn't had any reaction from the knee," the assistant boss confirmed. Sagnol thus continues to close in on a comeback for the first team, and with the loss of Marcell Jansen until Christmas after surgery, the Frenchman could yet make a first squad appearance in seven months against Wolfsburg at the weekend. "It's a possibility," Henke remarked.
Time until Christmas
The assistant coach warned that the player still had some way to go, as he needed to recover full fitness before re-entering the top flight fray. "We have a responsibility to ensure he doesn't injure himself again.“ Sagnol himself is in no hurry. "I've not set myself any more targets before Christmas.“
Topics of this article