While most professionals go on vacation during the World Cup break, FC striker Steffen Tigges used the time for an operation. The reason for the surgery was an injury that went unnoticed for a long time. In the second half of the season, the striker should now get off to a flying start.

Steffen Tigges (24) came to Cologne in the summer as a new signing from Borussia Dortmund. In the first few months, the striker has become a top performer. In 15 Bundesliga games, Tigges came on in 12 games, nine times from the start. The yield is three goals this season. For the second half of the season, the top scorer has one goal in particular: more goals.

As reported by EXPRESS, Tigges took special measures during the World Cup break in order to be in good shape for the second half of the season. The 24-year-old is said to have recently undergone surgery on his nose. During the procedure, Tigges had a crooked nose corrected. According to the report, the summer newcomer should get around 40 percent more air.

The injury went unnoticed for months. The crooked nose probably arose in a duel at BVB times, but remained untreated there. There is said to have been no fracture, and Tigges did not complain of any great pain. In the end, the Cologne doctors advised him to have the surgery.

The operation for Tigges has no influence on the FC preparation. The operation should have gone smoothly. The striker wants to appear regularly for the start of training on Thursday (December 8, 2022). Then the Cologne pros return to Baumgart training after a two-week vacation. Even wearing a mask shouldn't be necessary for Tigges.

Sports director Christian Keller (43) took stock of his new summer signing. "He's shown in some games that he can play at a very solid level in the Bundesliga. But he's not able to do that consistently," says Keller. At the same time, he emphasizes that stabilization at the highest level is a normal process.

Coach Baumgart wants to work with Tigges on two specific areas for the second half of the season: intensity and tactical understanding. "From a physical point of view, his greatest field of adaptation is the intensity over 90 minutes. He works a lot against the ball. With the ball, however, he often lacks the stability and strength to be clean in the actions," explains Keller. He also has to work on holding the center better in order to use his strengths in the penalty area even more.

This article was originally published on 90min.com as To be in top form for the second half of the season: Tigges uses World Cup break for surgery.