Nigerian son can't wait to get back on the green

He's working hard on his comeback. Lukas Nmecha aims to return to action in 2024, both with VfL Wolfsburg and the German national team. For the first time since his knee surgery in August, the 24-year-old son of an Igbo father speaks about his suffering.

He's already back on his feet, though not yet on the pitch. Using the "Alter G," a treadmill that reduces one's body weight almost to weightlessness inside a capsule, Nmecha is already covering some distance. The striker is convinced that everything is heading in the right direction.

"I'm running at 80 per cent of my body weight. It's a gradual process. We're building up slowly to minimize any reaction from the knee."

The knee had been a significant issue for the Wolfsburg forward, specifically the patellar tendon. In November 2022, he suffered a partial tear, causing him to miss the World Cup in Qatar and significant parts of the second half of the season due to subsequent problems. It all looked behind him as he joined his Wolfsburg teammates for pre-season preparations. However, he was injured again during the first competitive game, a DFB-Pokal match against Makkabi Berlin. This time, both Nmecha and the medical staff decided on surgery.

At least he can laugh again after the initially disheartening diagnosis.

"I talked a lot with my family, and my faith helped me greatly. When I was back in the weight room a week or two after the surgery and made progress, I was back in the game and wanted to take the next steps. However, I definitely won't be playing this year."

But when the new year's preparations begin, perhaps at the end of January or the start of February, he wants to be back in action. There's enough time for the former Manchester City academy player to help Wolfsburg in the second half of the season and the German national team during the upcoming European Championship. He acknowledges that he has the tournament in mind, although he hasn't heard anything from the new coaching team led by Julian Nagelsmann.

Nmecha continues to talk about his dream of being part of the European Championship alongside his brother Felix in the German squad. Despite Felix leaving the brotherly shared apartment in Wolfsburg to join Borussia Dortmund, Lukas has coped well.

"You quickly get used to living alone. When I watch Wolfsburg on TV, I have the Dortmund game running on the app simultaneously."

He's done a lot of watching in the past months. Lukas is keen to get back to playing.