Thursday 3 August 2017 21:49, UK
Borussia Dortmund have been handed a major boost after it was reported playmaker Mario Gotze is set to return for pre-season this week.
Gotze missed most of the second half of last season having been diagnosed with "metabolic disturbances" in February after suffering with ongoing muscular issues.
The 25-year-old only came back to Dortmund last July following a three-year spell with Bayern Munich, but the player was able to finish just four of the 11 Bundesliga matches he started after his return to the Westfalenstadion.
According to Bild, however, new Dortmund head coach Peter Bosz expects to have the Germany international - who scored the winning goal for his country in the 2014 World Cup final - back for the start of pre-season training on Friday.
And the Dutchman, who replaced Thomas Tuchel as the Bundesliga club's boss at the end of last season, also hopes to have recent new signings Omer Toprak and Dan-Axel Zagadou available after the summer break.
Bosz will have to make do without Marco Reus, Raphael Guerreiro, Julian Weigl and Shinji Kagawa, though, with the key quartet all currently sidelined with injury.
Dortmund won the German Cup while also finishing third in the Bundesliga last season.
