Sami Khedira, center, Real Madrid's German midfielder, could play Sunday for the first time since sustaining a knee injury last November.CreditPaco Campos/European Pressphoto Agency After he sustained a knee injury last November, the German news media all but ruled out Sami Khedira from being fit for next month’s World Cup in Brazil. Thing is someone apparently forgot to inform Sami Khedira. On Saturday, Real Madrid’s German midfielder was included in the squad for Sunday’s match in Spain’s La Liga against visiting Valencia.Khedira has been training with Real Madrid for about two weeks. He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee last November during an international friendly between Germany and Italy, a 1-1 tie.“Khedira will be on the bench and we want him to have some minutes against Valencia,” Madrid Manager Carlo Ancelotti told the news media on Saturday. “Next week, we will also schedule a friendly match in Valdebebas to help him get some rhythm. If he’s on the list that means he’s available, but we also need to be careful with his recovery. It all went well and quickly. [Luca] Modric is not available but Khedira is. He is well, but he needs to play little by little.” According to the Spanish sports daily Marca, Khedira is set to return to play a month and a half ahead of schedule. The paper also said that Khedira was so committed to a speedy recovery that he lived for a time at the clinic where the operation was performed so he would not miss a minute of rehab time. Depending on how quickly he becomes comfortable, Khedira could grab a roster spot for the Champions League final against Real’s crosstown rival Atlético. That game will be played in Lisbon on May 24. Khedira has played 44 times for Germany’s national team, and was called in by Coach Joachim Löw for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa as a replacement for the injured Michael Ballack. Khedira’s late goal gave Germany the 3-2 victory over Uruguay in the third-place match. Germany opens first-round play in Group G against Portugal. The United States and Ghana are the other teams in the group.
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