Brajan Gruda targets Germany return after scoring on Leipzig comeback

Brajan Gruda has renewed his bid for another Germany call-up after returning from injury to score RB Leipzig’s winner against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.

The 22-year-old midfielder started for the first time since suffering an injury during Leipzig’s Bundesliga match against Bayer Leverkusen, ending a frustrating spell on the sidelines with the decisive goal in Tuesday’s 1-0 victory.

Gruda had been included in Jurgen Klopp’s first Germany squad but was forced to withdraw after the setback. He remains hopeful of earning another opportunity, with Germany due to travel to face Serbia before hosting the Netherlands in their November UEFA Nations League fixtures.

“It was very annoying,” Gruda said of missing out on international duty. “But Jurgen Klopp told me: ‘Postponed is not cancelled.’ If I perform well, the chance will come again.”

The latest injury came after the player had already been recovering from a rib problem. Leipzig manager Martin Demichelis said Gruda had spent the past few weeks working towards a full return and explained why he was restored to the starting line-up against PSV.

“He is a special guy, funny and smart. I’m so happy for him,” Demichelis said.

“I’ve been able to work closely with him over the past few weeks – first through his rib injury, then his abdominal injury. He wasn’t able to start against Frankfurt, but today we made the decision in his favour.”

Gruda said scoring the winning goal made his return even more rewarding.

“It feels great, to be honest. I was injured, and now I’m back and able to play from the start. It feels amazing, especially with the goal and the three points,” he said.

Leipzig endured a difficult opening period against PSV, but Gruda felt their performance improved as the match went on and believed a faster start could lead to more goals.

“If we start games the way we finished this one, we can score many more goals,” he added.

Leipzig’s next fixture is a Bundesliga meeting with Bayern Munich. Gruda said the team’s confidence and unity gave them reason to believe they could challenge any opponent.

“If we give 100 percent, I think we can beat anyone. It’s football, anything can happen. We have a good spirit, we trust each other, and we’ll see what happens,” he said.