Schweinsteiger set to return this year

Bastian Schweinsteiger is likely to return for Bayern Munich this year, having missed the start of the campaign with a knee injury.

Following Germany’s World Cup success in Brazil, Schweinsteiger picked up a minor ankle issue in Bayern’s close-season preparations before irritation around the patellar tendon kept him from returning to competitive club action.

Schweinsteiger has been ruled out of the early stages of Bayern’s Bundesliga defence as a result, but chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed the midfielder was set to return before the turn of the year.

Rummenigge expects the Germany captain to be back in training at Bayern during this month’s international break.

“He is likely to come back in 2014,” he told Kicker.

“All is okay. He may get back into the team’s training in the next international break.”

Bayern’s final game before the mid-season break comes against Mainz at the Coface Arena on December 19.