Omar Mascarell: "I'm ready to play again"

Omar Mascarell would have dreamed of a different start to his Schalke career. Midway through the preseason, the Spaniard picked up a thigh injury during the friendly against French side SCO Angers. The midfield man was ruled out for the first three competitive fixtures, but the dust has now settled. “I have absolutely no pain or niggles at all. I’m ready to play again”, asserted the S04 new signing.

Mascarell emphasised how frustrating it was to have to watch the first few matches from the stands. “I was really looking forward to the start of the season with Schalke and wanted to help my teammates on the pitch”, said the 25-year-old.

Much anticipated return to first team training

Mascarell took part in certain elements of training last week, but returned to full training at the start of this week. “I’m delighted to be back”, laughed Mascarell, whose joy at overcoming his injury is palpable.

It stands to benefit both him, personally, as well as the team. “Of course, the upcoming games will be very tough, but we just have to focus on Mönchengladbach for now”, said Mascarell. The midfielder has a simple recipe for success as Die Knappen look to secure their first points of the season: “We need to play our own football again and play with courage.”

Despite the unfortunate start to the Bundesliga season, it’s important to remain positive. Such an outlook doesn’t seem too difficult for him, since, “we have a very strong team and we stand together like a family.” Every player is working hard in training, so Mascarell is certain that “success will soon follow.”