Matthias Jaissle suffers setback

It seems that Hoffenheim's German U-21 international Matthias Jaissle simply cannot get away from the treatment table at the moment. Having recovered from a cruciate ligament injury, the 21-year-old had to undergo keyhole surgery in his knee and is set to spend a further period on the sidelines.

Jaissle's long-awaited comeback appeared to be on course was until his knee began to swell once again, leading to another medical examination. As the subsequent MRI scan did not produce any concrete results, the player underwent keyhole surgery to identify the problem. This resulted in the discovery that Jaissle had been suffering from a torn meniscus and had to have part of the tissue removed. "I was quite down about it all, but the fact that the operation showed my [previous] cruciate ligament injury had cleared up was good to hear." Jaissle is reluctant to set a date for his full return, but is progressing well in his rehabilitation programme. "I can't put my leg under too much strain because of the operation, but hopefully it'll be back to normal soon and I will be able to put the crutches to one side."