Nuremberg (dpa / lby) - The start of training for the soccer professionals of 1. FC Nuremberg on the pitch was accompanied by good news. A good five months after his serious knee injury, defender Tim Handwerker can work on his comeback on the pitch at the beginning of the new year. The 24-year-old craftsman practiced individually with midfielder Taylan Duman.
The left-back tore a cruciate ligament in the third game of the season at SSV Jahn Regensburg in early August. However, it will still be some time before craftsmen can be used again in point games. The 25-year-old Duman is ahead of him. He was also largely absent in the first half of the season. Duman was stopped first by a torn medial ligament in his ankle and then by a torn syndesmosis ligament in his foot. According to the ideas of coach Markus Weinzierl, the versatile Duman should attack again soon.
After the "Club" professionals started the new year with performance tests on Monday, Weinzierl asked them to do two practice sessions on Tuesday. According to the club, newcomer Benjamin Goller (Werder Bremen), attacker Pascal Köpke and defensive player Fabian Nürnberger were all absent due to illness at the public training session in front of numerous spectators in the morning.
In preparation for the start of the second half of the season on January 29th in the Max Morlock Stadium against FC St. Pauli, Weinzierl and his squad will complete a training camp in Belek, Turkey, from January 8th to 15th. Nuremberg have had a disappointing first half of the season. They only got 19 points in 17 games. Coach Robert Klauß had to leave in early October and was replaced by Weinzierl. In eleventh place, the Franconians separate only two points from the relegation zone.
