Schalke 04 playmaker Julian Draxler has revealed his delight at coming back into training following a torn hamstring.
The 21-year-old has been out of action since October, but has now been able to train a few times as he looks to prove his fitness to coach Roberto Di Matteo.
"I have now trained two or three times at the same level and have no pain," Draxler told Kicker.
"That's the most important thing and I'm just happy that everything has healed well. I'm trying to show myself in training now so that the coach sees me as an option.
"The five months has been gnawing at me. At first it was quite nice to watch the games from a different perspective but ultimately it was not easy to keep my feet still. There's nothing like standing on the grass."
Schalke currently hold fifth position in the Bundesliga table with 40 points from 27 games.
