Burnley youngster Andréas Hountondji is nearing a return at St Pauli after recovering from a hairline fracture in his left ankle.
That’s according to BILD. The German newspaper covers the 23-year-old’s return today and explains how St Pauli will celebrate it.
According to the paper, staff spotted Hountondji running numerous laps around the pitch on Wednesday during St Pauli’s latest training session.
While the rest of the team practised with head coach Alexander Blessin, he was busy working hard on his recovery in an individual session.
Hountondji has been out since the end of 2025 after suffering a hairline fracture in his left ankle. It marked the latest blow in an injury-hit season for the Burnley striker.
How injury issues have held him back
He has made just 12 Bundesliga appearances this season, along with two in the cup, as injuries and repeated knee and thigh problems have limited his involvement.
Nevertheless, he is still St Pauli’s most effective striker this season. He’s managed a goal every 152 minutes, including three in his first three games. He also scored in the 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich at the end of November.
Now the focus is on getting him fit to play again. St Pauli have been cautious with the Burnley loanee, immobilising his foot in a special shoe after he suffered the injury.
End of season plans for Burnley player
The team has steadily increased the workload week by week to test his strength.
Hountondji’s response to that workload will determine when he can return. If he shows no negative reaction, the staff could quickly reintegrate him into the squad.
In fact, St Pauli are hopeful of a partial team training return in one or two weeks. Realistically, he could be back properly after the international break.
The ideal situation would be for the Burnley loanee to return for the final seven games of the season. St Pauli could certainly use his goalscoring prowess as they look to avoid relegation.