It’s nine months to the day since Sasa Kalajdzic tore his cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and lateral meniscus in a friendly against SC Freiburg. The subsequent months have not been easy for the 22-year-old striker, who had only joined VfB a few weeks before his serious knee injury.
Hi Sasa. You’re only able to train in small groups at the moment, but training has still been very intense and varied. How are you coping with the sessions so far?
Sasa Kalajdzic: “So far, my body is coping very well with the strain during training. The more I train, the less I think about my knee, which is a good sign. I’m just having fun, enjoying the moment and trying to improve week by week. If the league does resume, I want to be prepared.”
Marcin Kaminski, who also suffered a knee injury at the start of the season, was with you during the recovery process. How much did it help having a teammate by your side at that time?
Kalajdzic: “It was extremely important for me. I really got on very well with Marcin. We not only met up in training, but privately too. I got to know his family, which I was really happy about. I’m very pleased that we get to see each other on a regular basis again, even if we’re not allowed to be on the pitch together because Marcin is in a different group to me.”
What did you miss most during your recovery?
Kalajdzic: “Every footballer knows that feeling of arriving in the changing room and everyone’s in high spirits. That feeling of having fun with your teammates, telling stories and just having a good time is something no money in the world can buy. That moment when you greet everyone in the changing room – although we can’t really do that at the moment – is just great. It’s priceless. I’m already looking forward to everything returning to normal and for us to all be together in the changing room.”