Koen Casteels: “I will work hard for my comeback”

The 21-year-old underwent surgery in a Berlin hospital on Sunday evening and is expected to return to the Kraichgau towards the end of the week. Casteels looked back at the situation that led to the injury: “Ramos and Jannik were battling for the ball. I wasn't sure if Jannik would get there in time so I came out. It all went so quickly. The only thing I remember is feeling the pain in my leg immediately after making contact. I knew straightaway that something was broken.”

Casteels knows that his road back to fitness will be long, but it's one that he will head down full of determination: “As soon as I get the green light from the doctors, I will start my rehabilitation. The World Cup is no longer the focus. I will work hard for my comeback, but I will also take the necessary time to ensure that I'm at 100 percent when I do return.”

The keeper got some important moral support in the hospital. His parents and Hertha's Adrian Ramos came to visit him. “It was nice of him to visit. He apologised but he didn't need to. No one intended for this to happen. It was a battle for the ball, something that happens all the time in football,” said Casteels about the fleeting visit of Hertha striker Ramos, who will be joining Borussia Dortmund at the start of next season.

Match facts and statistics »