Injuries getting Robben down

Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben claims the mental strain of recovering from a serious injury far outweighs the physical battle to regain fitness.

Robben is unlikely to kick a football again in 2010 after Bayern club doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt discovered torn muscle tissue in his left thigh during an examination when the player reported for pre-season training in August.

"It really hurts me, which is why I hope that this phase of my career passes soon," he told Munich's Tz newspaper.

"It really is not easy for me. For my head, it is even tougher to deal with it all."

Robben is currently following an individual training regime, although he is still not permitted to put any pressure on his left leg.

"I don't actually feel any pain in my thigh and that makes it all the more difficult for me," he said.

"I am not allowed to put any pressure on my legs so I am working on my upper body. It is in a way a kind of rehabilitation training."

Muller-Wohlfahrt claimed the player had been given inadequate treatment in the build-up to the World Cup simply to enable him to play at the tournament without considering his long-term health.

As a result, Robben is now coming to terms with a long spell on the sidelines in a bid to put the troubles behind him for good, but he admitted that it is difficult watching his team-mates train from the window of the treatment room.

While Robben counts down the months, weeks and days before he can return to the football pitch, his club are in a battle with the Dutch Football Federation (KNVB) regarding compensation payments. A delegation from the KNVB met Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, board member Karl Hopfner and Muller-Wohlfahrt in Munich at the weekend, but another round of talks will be necessary to clear up the matter.