Tim Kleindienst’s Long-Awaited Return to Bundesliga Action

omidbasir- As Borussia Mönchengladbach’s head coach Eugen Polanski indicated during his pre-match press conference, it was time for the long-injured captain Tim Kleindienst to make his return this weekend. Polanski emphasized that he was unfazed by the opinions of the club’s medical staff, asserting that Kleindienst simply needed to step onto a Bundesliga pitch.

In a calculated move, Polanski utilized Kleindienst in the least risky manner possible. The 30-year-old player entered the match against his former club, 1. FC Heidenheim, when the outcome was already determined. With four minutes of injury time added, Kleindienst made his entry at the 90+1 minute mark and managed to secure four touches on the ball.

“Just being back on the pitch is a positive thing,” Kleindienst remarked in the mixed zone afterward. “I thank the Heidenheim fans for the applause. I know it’s a bit cheesy, but it touched me deeply.”

Kleindienst is well aware that it will take considerable time before he is ready for extended playing minutes following his major knee surgery. Additionally, there has been an unexpected development regarding a teammate he has not played alongside since late last spring.

On loan from Hoffenheim, striker Haris Tabakovic was initially expected to struggle; however, he quickly proved his critics wrong after two shaky performances in his first two outings. It wasn’t long before the Bosnian international capitalized on the limited scoring opportunities available to him.

Having scored again in Saturday’s victory, Tabakovic has now netted a total of seven league goals, trailing only England’s star striker Harry Kane and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Jonathan Burkardt in Bundesliga scoring this season. Kleindienst was quick to commend his fellow late-bloomer in his post-match remarks.

“Haris is doing an amazing job,” Kleindienst stated. “I hope he can ride this wave and keep it up. I need another month-and-a-half to two months. I’m sure I’ll be coming on as a substitute a few times initially. Competitive football is tough, and there are still a few things I need to work on. But I have no problem coming off the bench at the moment.”