Robben back in training, Ribery ‘not yet 100 per cent’

Bayern Munich stars Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben are on the mend, but both are likely to remain sidelined for Sunday’s Bundesliga clash with Nuremberg, coach Niko Kovac said on Friday.

Veteran wingers Robben and Ribery are both struggling with injuries as they approach the end of their final season at Bayern.

Robben has been out since November due to calf and thigh injuries, while Ribery missed Bayern’s cup win over Bremen in midweek due to muscular issues.

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“Franck is getting better, but he is still not 100 per cent,” said Kovac at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

Robben, meanwhile, trained with the team for the first time in nearly two months this week.

“It is the first step,” Robben told the club website.

“I will only be happy when I have been with the team for one or two weeks and have played a few minutes in a game. So many people have said how much they want me to get back on the pitch.”

French midfielder Corentin Tolisso is also hoping to make a long-awaited return to action, having been sidelined with a knee injury since the beginning of the season.

“Whenever he goes into a tackle and feels his knee twinge, he gets a fright,” said Kovac of Tolisso on Friday.

“Everything is ok with his knee, but it is a process. I hope that he can get a few minutes on the pitch.”

(AFP)