Borussia Dortmund defender Neven Subotic has returned to team training following an operation on his ribs, which led to the collapse of his transfer to Middlesbrough.
Subotic, 27, was set for a move to the Premier League club during the summer but saw the transfer collapse after he failed a medical, which revealed he needed rib surgery following a thrombosis in his arm last season.
"Good news regarding Neven Subotic! Just barely five months after an operation to the area around his ribs, the defender was able to take part in training again today," Dortmund said in a statement on their official website.
Subotic added on Facebook: "Had my first training with the team and the ball. There is no nicer gift. All the hard work paid off."
The defender, who fell down the pecking order when Thomas Tuchel took charge of Dortmund in 2015, is expected to gain match practice with the club's under-23 team, according to kicker.
"Neven is one of our players," sporting director Michael Zorc said when asked by kicker about a potential January transfer.
Subotic, who has appeared in 192 Bundesliga games for Dortmund since joining in 2008, is under contract until 2018.