United States international Aron Johannsson's return to the Werder Bremen team will not be rushed and there are no plans to have him take part in the preseason, according to the club's sporting director, Frank Baumann.
Johannsson, 25, last featured for Werder Bremen in September 2015, and has since been sidelined with a nerve irritation in the hip and groin region.
Late last month, the forward, who is also sitting out this summer's Copa America, said "things are finally getting better," adding that he hopes to be fit "as quickly as possible."
Speaking to local paper Kreiszeitung, Baumann ruled out an early return for Johannsson.
"He will get all the time he needs, but he won't be able to take part in the preseason," Baumann said, adding that they have not written the forward off. "He naturally plays a role in our squad planning, although we know that he won't be there for the start of the season."
Johannsson joined Bremen from AZ Alkmaar last summer, and the Bundesliga club still have hope that he can add to the two league goals he scored in six outings before the injury.
"We have a lot of patience. He will certainly help us long-term. But an exact prognosis [when he will return] is really difficult. It's not a fracture or a tear," Baumann said. "It's not an easy situation for Aron."
Bremen avoided relegation to the second division thanks to an 87th-minute goal by Papy Djilobodji on the final day of the season, which earned them a 1-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt and saw them climb out of the bottom three.
Baumann confirmed coach Viktor Skripnik will at least start the season.