Latvia national team striker Roberts Uldriķis made his long-awaited return to competitive action today, stepping onto the pitch for the first time in almost a year. The comeback came in a 2. Bundesliga match, where his club Arminia Bielefeld suffered a 0-1 away defeat to Fortuna Düsseldorf.
The 27-year-old forward had been sidelined since 25 February last year, when he sustained a serious injury – a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) – during a DFB-Pokal quarter-final against Werder Bremen. The injury ruled him out of football for nearly twelve months.
During the short winter break, Uldriķis returned to full team training, and today – 325 days after the injury – he was included in Arminia Bielefeld’s matchday squad for an official game for the first time since his setback.
Uldriķis entered the match in the 83rd minute with the score level at 0-0, marking his debut in the 2. Bundesliga. Just three minutes later, however, the hosts found the decisive goal, as Swiss striker Cedric Itten scored to give Düsseldorf the win.
After 18 matches, Arminia Bielefeld sit 16th in the league table with 19 points, placing them in the relegation play-off position in the 18-team competition. Their next challenge comes next Friday, when they will host Holstein Kiel at home.
