Joe Gyau's knee troubles continue to keep him out

Joe Gyau is nearing a return to the pitch, but he is still dealing with problems in his left knee. The American underwent surgery to repair the injured knee at the beginning of October and was reportedly close to full fitness, but it hasn't come yet.

According to German outlet Ruhr Nachrichten, Gyau's knee didn't respond well to an increased work load of late and that kept him out over the weekend. That was when he could have made his return from injury and now it is unclear when he will play again.

It is possible that Gyau will stay out until after the winter break. Borussia Dortmund II play through December 31, but then are off until February. That would give seven weeks to continue recovering, regain his fitness and then play in the team's winter training camp, allowing him to find some form again. At this point, this looks like the best bet for a player who is still having knee trouble.

It's a shame that Gyau got hurt when he did. He was in arguably the best form of his life, getting United States call-ups where he played well, and doing enough with his club that he made the bench for a few of BVB's first team matches. Now he just needs to get fit, then maybe he can get back to where he was in September.