Naldo’s knee is still giving him problems. The 28-year-old Brazilian has been fighting an injury since early July and has been unable to support his team on the pitch.

WERDER MAGAZIN: Naldo, how are you doing?

NALDO: I am getting better. I don’t have any pain and I am making progress every day. It’s getting about time for me to return to the pitch.

What does your daily routine look like?

Most of the time I am working on my comeback and I am spending a lot of hours on training sessions. At the moment most of the time I am doing rehab in Bremen or Donaustauf. I am doing a lot of drills on the bike and trying to get fit again as quickly as possible. And then I hope that I can get back on the training grounds by early November.

How difficult is it following the Werder matches from the stands or on television?

It is very difficult for me being only a spectator. I have been with Werder for five years but I have never had such a long injury break. Therefore the situation is very unusual for me. I am always sad when I cannot help the team.

When can the fans expect you back?

My big goal is returning to training in early November and then starting matches some time in the first half of the season. I am really looking forward to playing again in a stadium and giving the fans a good performance.