Soccer: Rojas lasts 45 minutes in comeback

All Whites striker Marco Rojas is making his long-awaited comeback after a prolonged knee-injury this weekend. Photo / Getty Images.

Supporters of the German Bundesliga club Vfb Stuttgart are starting to question whether their star recruit Marco Rojas has become a bad investment.

The All Whites striker played his first competitive match for his new club on Saturday, in the reserve team against MSV Duisburg, but was substituted after 45 minutes.

During the weekend, VFB fans have inundated the club's official online forum with their views, again questioning the nimble Kiwi's ability to cope with the physical nature of the Bundesliga. Judging by the comments, some fans have already written Rojas off, while others continue to ask for patience.

Rojas moved to Germany in June but broke a metatarsal in his right foot during his first pre-season match, which put him on the sideline for half the season.

The New Zealander made a brief appearance in a few friendly matches during the Christmas break but a knee injury again played havoc with his Bundesliga adventure.

Stuttgart is struggling near the bottom of the league and team management is keen to get Rojas available for the business end of the season.

Rojas arrived which much fanfare from Melbourne Victory after being crowned Player for the Year in the A-League, so it was no surprise that his return in the reserve team against MSV Duisburg drew an unusual amount of attention for a third German division match.

Reserve team coach Jürgen Kramny pulled the young New Zealander from the field after the first half in which he failed to set the world on fire. "It was clear for all to see that Marco had not played in a competitive environment for many months," Kramny told the German media after the goalless draw.

"He tried several things but just couldn't get into the game. More than 45 minutes was not realistic for him today."

By Coen Lammers of the Ashburton Guardian