Ilkay Gundogan is confident he will be able to make his Manchester City debut in late August or early September as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.
Gundogan, whose arrival on a four-year deal from Borussia Dortmund was confirmed on Thursday, has been out of action since dislocating his kneecap in May and was consequently omitted from Germany's squad for Euro 2016.
The 25-year-old's injury problems did not stop Pep Guardiola from making him his first signing for City, though, and the midfielder is confident he will soon make his comeback.
"I had a dislocated patella. It happened in training but it's not as bad as it sounds. A ligament was also stretched and so they operated on it," Gundogan told Manchester City TV after completing his transfer.
"Now I need to rest and then I hope that at the end of August or start of September I'll be back on the field and starting a new chapter.
"We have to look from week to week to see how it goes but everyone says I'm in good condition and better than expected so I'm satisfied with how it is in this moment. I hope that it recovers fast so that I can play as quickly as possible for Manchester City.
"Although I have this injury everyone was sure they wanted to sign me and they called me directly to ask what had happened. This was a great feeling for me. Now I want to give something back with the way I play football."
‘Maybe I’ll be signed by Wrexham, who knows? English football would suit me – if an offer came, I wouldn’t think twice, I’d go immediately’ Euro 2024 cult hero reveals his UK dream
‘Managing Leeds? It was an option that appeared, but it wasn’t the right timing. I decided it wasn’t a good idea to leave the club I was at mid-season’: Premier League boss admits to turning down opportunity to replace Jesse Marsch in 2023
