BERLIN : Borussia Dortmund and Germany defender Nico Schlotterbeck will need more time before he makes his comeback from a knee injury, coach Niko Kovac said on Thursday.

Schlotterbeck underwent surgery five months ago for a meniscus tear in his left knee that he sustained in April and despite having come back to light team training in recent days, he is still not yet ready for a comeback.

Schlotterbeck's services were also badly missed in Germany's two World Cup qualifiers in the international break, with the national team suffering a shock 2-0 loss to Slovakia before beating Northern Ireland 3-1.

"Nico has come back after five months and has been doing some light training without contact," Kovac told a press conference. "He is a key player, a top national team player.

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