Badstuber thrilled by prospect of comeback

December the first 2012 was a black day in Holger Badstuber's career. Bayern were at home to Dortmund at the Allianz Arena, but the Germany defender hobbled off before half-time with what proved to be a ruptured cruciate ligament. A long and trying time has passed since then, but more than 19 months later – 594 days to be precise – Holger’s time of trial will come to an end: he is set to feature in a match for the first time since his injury when FCB contest the first friendly of the new season, the Dream Game 2014 against the Red Baroons fan club.

“Obviously I'm massively looking forward to it,” the 25-year-old admitted to fcbayern.de, “it's the kind of game where I can gain confidence, strength and stamina.” Following countless training sessions in the preceding months, the defender is now determined to recover his playing rhythm. “It will do me good,” Badstuber stated.

To add the finishing touch, Friday evening’s match takes place in Memmingen, the town where Holger was born. “It's terrific that I'll be making my comeback there," the player said. The 11,150 crowd at Memmingen Arena will include many of Badstuber's friends and family in what is sure to be a festival atmosphere. “We want to put on a show for the fans,” the Bavarian native declared.