Guardiola urges fans to be patient as Schweini returns to training
Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola has put the brakes on Bastian Schweinsteiger's return from injury while praising the man who has replaced him this season, Xabi Alonso.
Schweinsteiger is now back in full team training after missing the start of the season through a persistent knee tendon problem.
With a comeback now looking imminent, Guardiola has called on Bayern fans to be patient for just a little bit longer.
"It's step by step," Guardiola said on his club's official website. "We have first got to see where he is at.
"He's been injured for a long time and needs training sessions, but he has a great deal of experience, is a great personality and knows his own body very well.
"It's good news for him that he's back, but also for us and for Bayern Munich. He was the most important player here in the last 10 years and now we've got to try to get him back to his old form."
As soon as Guardiola knew Schweinsteiger was going to miss most, if not all of the first half of the season, he made his move for Alonso.
"He's settled in extremely quickly," said Guardiola. "Sometimes it can be a huge problem for players moving to a new country, but for others it makes no difference.
"Our kind of football suits some players more than others, but if the player has the will to be able to help the team, then sooner or later he is going to fit in well."
Alonso has made a considerable contribution to the cause, repeatedly breaking league records for the number of touches for a single player in a game.
He and the rest of the team can still do better, though, according to the perfectionist Guardiola.
"In terms of the results, we certainly can't complain," said the Catalan. "But we must not forget that it's only November and there's still a lot of time to come.
"Just looking at the results, we and the fans are happy and we're heading in the right direction, but looking at the way we are playing, then there is still quite a bit of work to do."
Bayern have a four-point cushion over Wolfsburg at the top of the Bundesliga standings after almost a third of the season.
Borussia Monchengladbach are a further three points behind while last season's runners-up Borussia Dortmund are already 17 points in Bayern's wake.
