Serge Gnabry has been working out at Säbener Strasse for some days now, and on Monday morning he answered questions from media representatives at the Allianz Arena for the first time. The 22-year-old forward is still struggling with a torn muscle bundle sustained at the end of April, but is soon expected to resume the full squad programme under new coach Niko Kovac.
"I've been here for some weeks now, working hard towards my comeback, and I'm not too far away," said FC Bayern's new number 22 at his first press conference with the German record champions. He will resume training with the ball over the next few days, but must not rush things: "You have to take all the time in the world until you're 100 percent fit again. Feeling is an important factor. I'll send out a signal as soon as I feel I'm ready," the European U-21 champion declared.
"My targets in a nutshell: Clinch as many titles as possible"
Serge Gnabry
His new boss saw what a fully fit Gnabry is capable of when Kovac coached Eintracht Frankfurt last season. "We played Hoffenheim twice last season, Serge scored a goal and set up another one against us. I'm glad he's on our side now," Kovac recalled of his first encounter with the forward, who was loaned to Hoffenheim last season. The 46-year-old appreciates that Gnabry is "quick and straightforward and goes for the one-on-ones."
Hasan Salihamidzic too is convinced by the recent arrival's strengths. "He's got qualities you don't see that often," the sporting director said of the Stuttgart-born forward. Gnabry is a "top talent" and "has a great future here at FC Bayern."
Gnabry aims to repay the club for the praise and trust. "I've got certain qualities, I'm still very young," the confident winger said. But the youngster does not think his development has come to an end: "I like to dribble and I've improved a lot in terms of finishing," he reasoned, while admitting he still has to work on his weak foot and his heading ability. Gnabry is not fazed by the competition in Bayern's strong squad. He is looking forward to "learning a lot from the group. Every player is different, everyone has strengths and weaknesses, everyone's unique. And you can learn from everyone."
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