“Hope to be back in full training in four weeks”

Hello Anthony! How are you doing after your jaw surgery?

Anthony Rouault: “I’m doing better. The first week after the surgery was very difficult, but that was to be expected. Now I’m getting better every day and I can train again. I’ll work towards my comeback step by step in the coming weeks.”

How have you spent the last couple of weeks without football?

Anthony Rouault: “I spent a bit of time with my family in France. I couldn’t eat any solid food – my mother and grandmother had to help me with cooking soup (laughs). I watched our game against Hoffenheim on TV, but now I’m back in Stuttgart and will watch the remaining matches that I’m not involved in at the stadium.”

How did the first session of your rehab programme go?

Anthony Rouault: “I was in the gym first and then ran a few laps with our rehab coach Martin Franz. It was a relaxed session overall. We wanted to see how my body reacted to the strain and now we can do a bit more each day.”

Is there already a predicted date for when you can return to full training?

Anthony Rouault: “It will be around four weeks until I can join in with team training. It takes six weeks in total for the jaw to be stable again after an operation. During that time, I mustn’t take the risk of injuring myself again. I hope to be back in full training before the game at Leverkusen, or maybe even earlier.”