Rocco Reitz Closing in on RB Leipzig Return

RB Leipzig returned to work at Cottaweg on Tuesday, and for Rocco Reitz, the most important development was not simply being back at the training ground. It was being close enough to the team to begin thinking about a return.

After a week away, Martin Demichelis' squad resumed preparations for the Bundesliga restart against Eintracht Frankfurt on October 10. PSV Eindhoven will follow three days later in the Champions League, before Die Roten Bullen face Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in another demanding stretch of fixtures.

Reitz has been watching the action from the sidelines since early September. The midfielder suffered a muscular injury to his left thigh in training shortly after making an immediate impression for his new club. His Bundesliga debut came against former club Borussia Mönchengladbach, and it could hardly have gone better: Reitz started the 3-0 victory and scored Leipzig's third goal.

Then came the setback.

The injury ruled him out for several weeks and interrupted the beginning of his Leipzig career just as he was establishing himself in Demichelis' plans. Reitz had joined RB from Gladbach during the summer for a reported €20 million, signing a contract through 2031. Leipzig sporting director Marcel Schäfer had described him as an "absolute Wunschspieler"; in other words, a player the club particularly wanted, with his intensity, pace and willingness to work fitting the profile the Red Bulls were seeking in midfield.

Now the 24-year-old is moving into the next stage of his recovery.

Reitz spent the international break working individually, including a period in Marbella alongside Castello Lukeba and Christoph Baumgartner. He has already returned to work on the pitch and is now approaching a possible partial reintegration into team training. RB's latest training update indicates that Reitz could take part in sections of the collective sessions this week if he responds well to the increased workload.

That does not guarantee a place in the squad against Frankfurt. Reitz first needs to complete the transition back into full team training, and Leipzig are unlikely to take unnecessary risks with a player who has only recently returned from a thigh problem.

But the timing is encouraging.

Reitz has already been projected for a return around the October international break, and the Frankfurt fixture on October 10 provides a natural target.

His return could also arrive at an important moment for Leipzig. The club currently sit on six points after four Bundesliga matches, having alternated between wins and defeats. The upcoming sequence against Frankfurt, PSV, Bayern and Real Madrid will demand depth throughout the squad.

For Reitz, though, the priority is simpler.

After an encouraging debut, an untimely injury and several weeks of rehabilitation, he is finally getting closer to the group again.

The next step is no longer simply recovery.

It is rejoining the team.