Lukas Nmecha’s tale of woe is a long one with many chapters. After breaking his ankle at the end of 2021 and missing eight league games, he was then hit with persistent patella tendon problems barely a year later. Last season, the German international striker managed just 18 appearances in the league and the DFB Cup combined.
The 25-year-old was therefore keen to get this season under way with the cup clash away to Makkabi Berlin and even scored the opening goal of the game before the patella tendon issues returned just before half-time. It meant that surgery was by then the only option, and Nmecha is still recovering from going under the knife.
At the team’s training camp in Almancil however, the forward has been cutting an optimistic figure, always with a smile on his face as he racks up the laps around the pitch. It will be a while before he can return to full training with the rest of the team, but he does not fear any recurrences of the problem.