Bayern Munich's Thiago makes return to training after 4-month layoff

Thiago Alcantara made his long-awaited return to training Thursday after months of rehabilitating his injured knee.

The Spanish midfielder, who hasn't participated in a match for the German champions since May 2014 after suffering a pair of ligament tears, took part in running drills at Bayern Munich's training centre for the first time since October, the club announced.

Thiago was close to a return in October, but suffered his third ligament tear since March, forcing him to undergo surgery.

He's had a nightmare on the injury front since arriving at the Allianz Arena from Barcelona in 2013.

His first knee injury occurred in March when he suffered a partial tear in his right knee. He then aggravated the injury in May.

There's no date for his return to the pitch, as Bayern will undoubtedly take a cautious approach and closely monitor Thiago's recovery process.