Ilkay Gundogan's Return Boosts Dortmund, but Restoring Form Will Take Time

After 15 months out with injury, Borussia Dortmund are set to finally welcome Ilkay Gundogan back into the first-team fold this weekend when they face Koln in the Bundesliga.

The German international was reported by Goal.com to be ready for action after the recent international break, telling Sky Sport News how his rehabilitation was in its final steps.

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I think that I am available for first-team selection again from here on. The plan was to get in some training hours during the international break and make another step forward in a friendly game. I will be part of the squad again from the point that everybody returns from the international break. This weekend's match versus Koln should be that moment. So long as nothing out of the ordinary happens, I expect to be part of the match squad versus Koln.

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It will be a welcome boost for Dortmund but also in the longer term for the German national team, with both sides suffering a blip in fortunes of late. They will both, however, need to be patient with Gundogan in getting back to his very best.

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15 months since Ilkay Gundogan last played for Dortmund in a competitive game. Likely to make the squad for Saturday's match.

— Stefan Bienkowski (@SBienkowski) October 16, 2014"

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Marco Reus, Ilkay Gundogan, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Sven Bender & Sebastian Kehl have all taken part in full Dortmund team training today. #BVB

— Bundesliga Spotlight (@BundesligaSpot) October 14, 2014"

Dortmund Needs

After finishing second in the Bundesliga once more last season, nothing much other than another strong campaign was expected for BVB—perhaps not enough to take the title away from Bayern Munich, but certainly good enough to keep the gap between themselves and the rest.

2014-15 hasn't gone that way, though, despite some impressive transfer work over the summer.

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Dortmund lie 13th in the 18-team league with just two wins from seven so far, having already tasted defeat against top-four rivals Schalke and Bayer Leverkusen.

In central midfield, things have been especially muddled; 22-year-old Milos Jojic has played the most minutes for the side so far (via WhoScored.com), already just about equaling his total minutes from last season, with none of Sebastian Kehl, Sven Bender, Shinji Kagawa or Henrikh Mkhitaryan managing more than four starts so far. Nuri Sahin hasn't played at all and is out until next month.

Michael Probst/Associated Press

It has been inconsistent, fragmented and lacking in direction at times, both in selection and performances, and though Gundogan won't automatically be a week-in, week-out starter from this point onward as he gains sharpness and fitness, he can at least provide leadership and influence from the centre of the park.

This was his big role in the team pre-injury, quite aside from his technical talents, and Dortmund will benefit enormously from this even while Gundogan gets up to speed on the ball.

Germany Opportunity

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

It wouldn't usually be expected that a player out for more than a year could sense the opportunity to walk back into a squad which had just won the FIFA World Cup, but Germany are a little in limbo right now.

Injuries and retirements mean the latest squad was markedly different to that which achieved such great success in Brazil 2014 only three months ago, and the centre of midfield shows perhaps there is something for Gundogan to aim for in the midterm.

A Toni Kroos-Christoph Kramer or Kroos-Matthias Ginter pairing in the middle is not bad, but with Bastian Schweinsteiger injured, Sami Khedira not playing at club level and neither Sven nor Lars Bender seemingly able to nail down a place, Gundogan could be forgiven for looking ahead to the Euro 2016 qualifier in November against Gibraltar and wondering to himself whether he might not ease his way back into the fold earlier than expected.

Peter Dejong/Associated Press

Ilkay v_2013

Think back to the best of Dortmund's run to the Champions League final at Wembley in 2012-13 season, and the chances are you remember Ilkay Gundogan at the heart of it all. His barnstorming runs forward from deep in midfield were a feature of their play, likewise his ability to press and recycle play quickly and efficiently. Especially that latter. Incisive, intelligent passing, either from the centre of the park or as he roved further forward—that's what Dortmund will hope to see soon.

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

Almost a year-and-a-half out of action is an awfully long time, though, and it will be some months before the powerful, all-action style returns in full force, not to mention the agility and assured touch which were hallmarks of his.

Often, slight strains or setbacks can be a problem for returning players, and Gundogan's injury was serious enough to have some harbouring thoughts of whether he would return at all.

He has, though, and his goal now must be to return to the influential, playmaking general that he was en route to Wembley two seasons ago. It could all start against Koln this weekend at the RheinEnergieStadion, where even a short time on the pitch could be a big enough boost for both player and team, both of whom are on their own comeback paths right now.

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