Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery is not expected to return to action before the end of September and will miss the first match of the Champions League group stage, according to reports in Germany.
Ribery, 32, has been sidelined with ankle problems since mid-March 2015, and on Friday followed Bayern Munich's 5-0 win over Hamburg from the stands of the Allianz Arena.
"I am fine," Ribery told kicker after the match, but did not go into details about his comeback plans.
According to the football weekly, the Frenchman, currently limited to recovery work inside the club's training facilities, could increase his work load by the end of August -- should his ankle not react to the current build-up training.
However, Ribery is not expected to return to the Bayern squad before the end of September, more than six months after his problems first occurred, meaning he is set to miss the opening Champions League group stage match which takes place on Sept. 15/16.
"It's difficult for him, and also difficult for his mind," Bayern attacker Arjen Robben said in kicker, and recalled the last time the pair went a full 90 minutes in the 4-1 defeat of Cologne on Feb. 27.
"I miss the time with him, it has been quite a while. The two of us have been without any luck. Whenever he played, I had problems, and the other way round."
Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, left midfielder Sebastian Rode and Dante out of the Hamburg squad, and later said that he had to make a decision.
"I can't always explain why someone is not in the squad," Guardiola said. "But we need this competition. Dante was out injured for a long time, Sebastian is outstanding player, but recently had problems with his ankle."
Rode, 24, said about the decision: "Like always there were 18 names written on the chalkboard during the team meeting."