Leroy Sane was on the verge of making his comeback when football was shut-down by the Covid-19 outbreak.
Sane has given an interview to the German FA website in which he explains that he was on the point of making his return when the decision was taken to call off all games.
His lack of involvement seemed puzzling, even given the length of his comeback, but Sane explained:
“After being injured for such a long time I didn't want to jump straight back in again, but rather take the time that my body needed.
“That's why I suggested that I should play for the youth team first so that I could get used to the speed of the game step by step.
“Lots of people were surprised but for me it was the logical first step to make - that's what I planned to do from the start and what I told the coach.
“Overall I felt really good and was on the right track. I was on the verge of making my comeback.
“I still need one or two competitive games to get back to full fitness so that I can get my confidence back again, which is very important.”
Sane tore his anterior cruciate ligament, the first major injury of his career, and he said that the time off has taught him a few things.
“I've never had such a long injury before,” he said. “It wasn't an easy time for me but I learnt a lot of things, such as being patient. The body needs time after such an injury.
“There's no point putting lots of pressure on yourself. I've also tried to stay positive about everything.
“It allowed me to spend more time with my family because they accompanied me during my rehabilitation in Innsbruck.
“I've also been able to use the last few weeks to work specifically on my body.”