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Munich (dpa) - He's back - and full of verve.
Whether sprinting or playing in a circle: Joshua Kimmich was full of zest for action during training for FC Bayern's start to the year against Mainz 05.
After his brief stint at the last game in 2020 in Leverkusen, the national soccer player will be back in command of the Munich midfield in the home game against the penultimate on Sunday (6 p.m.).
Happy New Year means Kimmich's return for coach Hansi Flick.
Because with the ambitious junior boss, the Bayern axis is back on the offensive with goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, defense chief David Alaba, link Kimmich in the headquarters and Thomas Müller and goal scorer Robert Lewandowski.
"Joshua is very important," said Flick of Kimmich when he was back on the pitch just six weeks after his knee injury against Dortmund just before Christmas at the top game in Leverkusen.
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The substitute international took just under 25 minutes to demonstrate his worth again.
Kimmich took over command in the headquarters.
In stoppage time he first captured the ball, then served Lewandowski - and the Pole scored the 2-1 that brought Bayern back to the top of the table.
"We immediately had more control in the game," Flick praised the returnee.
"Joshua is someone who always drives, who is always one hundred percent focused and has a winning mentality," said Flick in the numerous moments in which he raved about Kimmich and his development as a manager in the Munich five-title year 2020.
Especially in the rehabilitation training after the injury it was shown again, "what a professional Josh is", praised Flick.
The meniscus operation was "not that easy," as Bayern boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge revealed.
Kimmich worked "like a berserk" for a quick return.
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"I hope that I will be completely normal and fully involved again next year," said the patient Kimmich at the beginning of the rehab.
The point was to acquire "a certain armor" again, he said.
Kimmich referred to good “medicinal meat, but there is also a lot of work behind it”.
The operated knee is now “no longer a weak point”, said the 25-year-old in the “Deutschlandfunk sport talk”.
Bayern had to play eight competitive games without him.
They didn't lose any, but they only won four.
The number of goals conceded soared.
Bayern have recently fallen behind seven times in the Bundesliga.
"We missed Kimmich very much," Rummenigge said.
He demands the balls in midfield, he distributes them, he conquers them.
The man with the 6 on the jersey fulfills the sixth position like no other in the Bayern squad.
Leon Goretzka and Corentin Tolisso are more eighth with a move forward.
The armor of the 32-year-old Spaniard Javi Martínez is now creaking badly.
And newcomer Marc Roca has not really used the special Bayern style of play under Flick.
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It was during Kimmich's absence that it was really noticeable for the first time that Thiago left FC Bayern after the Champions League triumph.
Against the crisis club from Mainz, which will compete with Jan Siewert as a temporary coach after a personal quake in the Allianz Arena, Kimmich is about to pick up the rhythm again.
Kimmich is bursting with ambition: "I put the greatest pressure on myself because I expect a top performance from myself in every game".
His Bayern plans for 2021 are new title wins.
«You want to shape an era.
I don't have the feeling that we are at the end of our team. "
He hopes that 2020 “was just the beginning”.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210101-99-868179 / 2