Benedikt Höwedes keeps his perspective despite the mask
02.02.2012
Ten days after suffering a triple cheekbone fracture Benedikt Höwedes returned to training with the rest of the squad on Monday (31st January). The Royal Blues captain spoke to schalke04.com about his current condition, a possible comeback against Mainz 05 and his new face mask.
Benedikt Höwedes on …
…his health:
I’m feeling much better and the swelling in my face is starting to die down. It looked really bad for the first four or five days, it was all bruised and swollen. I steel feel a bit numb from the anaesthetic but that is also starting to wear off.
...the operation:
The plan was to insert three plates to hold my cheekbone in position. The operation went so well, however, that the professor did not see any need to insert the plates. I have to say I'm pretty relieved that they were left out.
...his new face mask:
The mask is quite restrictive. My field of vision is not very clear, and I don't feel completely free. I'm happy, though, as the mask fits perfectly. It is made of carbon and so it is very stable. At first glance it looks very big but it needs to be that size as it has to cover most of my face. Uwe Schwanz, who designed it, has done a great job. I will try to get used to in training, and so we'll just have to see how it goes.
…his chances of playing against 1.FSV Mainz 05:
I’m very ambitious and so naturally I'm keen to play on Saturday. I’m aware, though, that I’ve not been able to train for the last eight to nine days and spent four of those days lying in bed. I'm not sure, therefore, if I’ll be ready for it. I will have to see if I want to risk it, and if I feel ok in the mask then we will see what happens.
…the team's performance in Cologne without their captain:
I have to admit that I was a bit nervous watching the match on television. I was able to relax more in the second half as the boys really did their jobs well. You could see we were a unit, and that we had no problem compensating for the key players who were missing. We have a lot of character as a group and we are all prepared to help each other out. Those are the qualities of a good team, and we can be proud of that.
S04's current Bundesliga position
I'm quite relaxed about it. It's nice to be up at the top with the other sides. We know, though, that there are several good teams in the top third of the table who are good enough to give us real problems. We have to keep fighting every week to get all three points and we want to be up there for as long as we can.
