People who have been injured for eleven months Benjamin Henrichs Bundesliga football team RB Leipzig still hopes to take part in the World Cup next year. “My big goal is not just to be at the World Cup, but I want to be there as a regular player. I want to be there and really play and I will give everything for that,” said the 28-year-old defender in the 58th episode of the “Playmaker” podcast from 360Media. Henrichs suffered a right Achilles heel injury on December 20, 2024 without any intervention from the opponent.
However, the 19-time national player has not yet set a definite date for his comeback after previously coming under pressure. He wants to return to the field after five months. Despite the pain, the Bocholt native continued to pursue his goal, so another surgery followed. “I no longer had a definite plan. “I just put my foot down and didn’t set a date, I just wanted to get fit,” Henrichs says now.
Lots of encouragement from Kimmich and Tah
In his time of suffering, Henrichs also received a lot of encouragement, and not just from his teammates. National team captain Joshua Kimmich I ask about his condition almost every two weeks. “Also Jona, my brother,” is how Henrichs calls Jonathan Tah, his teammate at Leverkusen. That said, “it’s not easy to stay positive all the time, especially when there are setbacks.”
He himself reported immediately after the Leverkusen Martin Terrier suffered the same injury a month after Henrichs. “I’d never been in contact with him before. We’d only played against each other, but never really talked much,” Henrichs said, “but for me that’s when I told him, if you need anything, I’m there, and we then updated each other every week.”
Sort of a new addition
As the Terriers return to the field, Henrichs is looking forward to his comeback Leipzig different from. Recalling last summer’s upheaval with a new coaching team and a slew of new players, the defender also sees himself as a newcomer and is looking forward to his return: “It’s really like a kid who hasn’t been allowed to play for so long and now just wants to play football again.”
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