We have spoken with our North Macedonian left-winger, who is currently rehabilitating after his knee injury. We’ve asked Dejan how his recovery is going and what he thinks about the team’s recent results and performances.
 
Hi Deki! First and foremost, how are you feeling?
 
I’m doing well, thank you! I am glad that I have no discernible pain in my knee, and everything is going at its own natural pace regarding my recovery. I think everyone at the club is content with my progress, so we can continue to work on making my comeback.
 
What exercises are you capable of doing and what stage are you at in your rehabilitation?
 
To be honest, it’s nothing special, I am working on strengthening my entire leg musculature, my quadriceps and my calves, but I’m very limited as to what I am able to do, only a couple of exercises that do not require increased mobility. We’ll reach the two-month mark in a couple of weeks, so that will be a new stage and a step in the right direction. We will discuss the next few steps with Marija.
 
What do the next 6 months of your rehabilitation look like?
 
Until 12 December, I will be here with the team and working with Marija, then I will travel home, like the rest of the team. I will continue the gym work while I am in Macedonia and when I return in January, I’ll continue the work with Marija. If everything goes according to plan, I can start playing at the end of April. Of course, this depends on a lot of different factors, like my doctors’ opinions, my test results and so on.
 
After suffering such a severe injury, the road to recovery is a bumpy ride. How do you gather the strength to persevere?
 
The situation can seem difficult and unbearable, however I already went through this 9 years ago, so I am aware of what I can expect in specific periods. I try to stay an optimist, keep a positive mindset, keep concentrating and work hard… this is my source of strength. There are still a lot of challenges and obstacles ahead of me, but I am taking my rehabilitation one step at a time. I am certain that everything will work out fine. I must stay strong mentally, keep on grinding and just like all other rough patches, this period will end as well.
 
How would you assess the performance of Veszprém so far?
 
I think we’re having a great season, we started off well as we’ve beaten PSG and Barcelona at the Veszprem Arena. The team is playing good handball; there were games when we weren’t in top form, but this is sports, every team has rough patches. If we can grab a win in Flensburg, then we can proudly look back on the recent period. Furthermore, we will still have a strong chance of grabbing the top 2 spots in our Champions League group, which many would deem a rather extraordinary job, given the group’s strong teams.
 
What do you think could be the best way to bring out the maximum of the team?
 
The most important thing is for the players to remain injury-free. We just don’t have the squad depth to dismiss and disregard any player, who picks up an injury. We have to stick together and fight for our common goals, until the very end of each match. We must function well as a team. If we give our 100% and we would die for our teammates on the pitch, then we shouldn’t have any problems because we have the talent, the technique and handball knowledge to win our games and reach our goals. It all depends on us, our mentality and our state of mind.
 
Next January, Hungary and Slovakia are hosting the 2022 European Championship. What do you think about the chances of the North Macedonian team?
 
We have a very tough group with Denmark, Slovenia and Montenegro. Given the new qualifying system, only the first two teams will advance into the next round. On paper, Denmark and Slovenia are both stronger than us, so it may seem hard, but we must believe that it is possible for us to advance. We will have to fight hard! If the pandemic situation allows it and everything goes according to tradition, many-many Macedonian fans will travel to support us during the games. Everything seems possible when they support us from the stands.
 
Dejan, thank you very much and we wish you quick recovery!