Kenneth Schmidt is now a regular part of Dynamo Dresden’s daily training routine—though not yet with the rest of the team. Six months after tearing his cruciate ligament, the 23-year-old is completing individual training sessions and gradually increasing his workload. It’s still too early for him to play, though.
The next step is set to take place at training camp
Schmidt is now regularly active on the field. Running is just as much a part of his routine as sprints, hurdle jumps, and his first drills with the ball. While his teammates are training as a group, the defender continues to follow a separate program.
Schmidt has now been undergoing individual rehabilitation with Dynamo for five weeks. Coach Thomas Stamm sees positive progress but does not want to rush the recovery process.
“He hasn’t trained with the team yet. He’s been here for five weeks now. After the first step in his rehab, he’s now in the recovery phase with us,” said Stamm. The key is for Schmidt to handle the physical demands step by step. According to the coach, there is no head start compared to the originally planned schedule: “But it’s not even remotely the case that we’re ahead of schedule right now. We’re making good progress and are fully committed to getting him ready for training camp.”
December remains a possible target
Stamm is deliberately leaving open when Schmidt will be able to play in a competitive match again. An initial opportunity could arise in December—though not at the beginning of the month.
“But we’re really talking about mid-December. It could happen sooner, but we’ll set the pace,” the coach explained.
This means Schmidt could already take individual steps with the team before January. The prerequisite would be that his body can handle the additional strain without any problems. Stamm considers such sessions possible in principle, but does not see his player as being on the verge of a return just yet.
“It would be nice if he could participate in certain training sessions before then. We’ll also have to see how he handles it. So, he’s still a long way from the point where you could say he’s an option,” said Stamm.
Dynamo Focuses on Intensive Support
Schmidt is receiving close support during his rehabilitation. Jose Portela, Matthias Grahé, and the physical therapy department are working together with the 23-year-old on the next steps. Stamm points out the opportunity to provide Schmidt with comprehensive care: “This way, we can look after him around the clock.”
The coach already knows Schmidt from his time in Freiburg. Now, following his cruciate ligament tear, the player is to be carefully brought back up to the team’s level at Dynamo.
Signing Despite Long Rehab
It was already clear at the time of his signing that Dynamo had long-term plans for Schmidt. Sports director Sören Gonther had said at the time, referring to the 23-year-old’s injury: “Without the ACL tear, signing Kenneth Schmidt would not have been feasible for us.”
The current development is therefore in line with this long-term approach. Schmidt is back on the training field, but a return to competitive action in the near future is not yet on the horizon. Further progress in his recovery and the training camp in January will serve as benchmarks for now.
