The Roque road to recovery

Brazilian defender Roque Junior is hoping to resurrect his club career having finally returned to fitness at Bayer 04 Leverkusen after a miserable 2006.

Painful injury
The 30-year-old will be delighted to have seen the back of 2006 after making just two appearances in the whole year, playing two Bundesliga games for Leverkusen in May before the painful hamstring problems that have blighted his career returned to haunt him again. When the 2002 FIFA World Cup winner returned to training with Leverkusen last week few expected him to be surging back into contention, but coach Michael Skibbe has been genuinely surprised by the recovery of the player whose contract is due to expire in the summer.

'His experience shows'
"After having been away for a whole year, I am surprised at his progress," said the Leverkusen coach, who will lead his side into UEFA Cup Round of 32 action against Blackburn Rovers FC in February. "He is already doing very well and of course his experience shows - that's something the whole team can benefit from." Capped 48 times by Brazil, the tough-tackling defender reached the pinnacle of his club career when he won the 2002/03 UEFA Champions League with AC Milan - his first European club after leaving SE Palmeiras in 1999. Following underwhelming loan spells at Leeds United AFC and AC Siena, he settled at Leverkusen in 2004.

'Feeling good'
Injury has denied Roque Junior the chance to really prove his worth in the Bundesliga, but he is hoping to be ready to start putting that right when Leverkusen take on TSV Alemannia Aachen in their first game of the spring campaign on 28 January. "I am feeling good," he said. "There is no more pain with my hamstring. Of course, I need more time, but there are still two weeks left until we play Aachen. I think I will be ready by then."