Javi Fernández's rebirth under Klose

The 19-year-old midfielder has returned to action for Nürnberg after 294 days out with a meniscus injury, impressing under Klose with three assists in nine starts.

Javi Fernández, a 19-year-old Spanish midfielder from Ourense, is rebuilding his career at Nürnberg under Klose after recovering from a serious meniscus injury that sidelined him for 294 days. The Bayern Munich academy product, who joined the German club's youth system in 2023, suffered the injury in February 2022 during a UEFA Youth League match while with Bayern's reserve team.

Since making his competitive return on 14 March against Holstein Kiel, Fernández has become a key player for Nürnberg, which sits second in the 2. Bundesliga and is challenging for promotion. He has featured in 17 of 18 league matches, starting the last 14 consecutively, and has recorded three assists and 110 won duels. Bayern's sporting director Christoph Freund has noted his "physical and mental strength" in his reports.

Klose, the German legend who took over as Nürnberg manager in 2024, has entrusted Fernández with controlling the team's midfield. The midfielder, who represented Spain at youth level including the 2023 U-17 Euros semi-final, hopes his resurgence in Germany will earn him a recall to the U-21 squad.