BERLIN, Nov 14: Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez could return from injury as a substitute at Nuremberg in the Bundesliga on Saturday and despite three months out is ready to reclaim his starting spot.

Gomez, Bayern’s first choice forward until ankle surgery ruled him out in August, has a fight on his hands to oust Mario Mandzukic, the league’s top scorer with eight goals.

Claudio Pizarro, on target in the German Cup and Champions League recently, has also raised his stock in Gomez’s absence making the German’s task that much harder even though coach Jupp Heynckes had said Gomez would not have to queue up again.

Gomez scored four goals, even managing to burst a football, on his comeback on Tuesday as Bayern romped to a 6-0 friendly win over a sixth division side.

Gomez looked sharp on his return and Heynckes was suitably pleased: “The performance from Mario was great.”

The 27-year-old Gomez played the full 90 minutes hitting the net four times and for his second goal, a penalty shot following a handball, he burst the ball on its way into the net as a second-string Bayern team beat local Bavarian side FC Falke Markt Schwaben.

“There’s always this talk that I’m not able to compete but I’ve been competing for eight years with very good strikers and have managed to come out on top,” Gomez told reporters on Wednesday.

The Germany forward has promised to continue scoring in the Bundesliga which Bayern lead by seven points.

“People should keep talking about me. It seems I am a player who polarises people. This is what I have to deal with,” said Gomez. “But my answer to this has always been to play and score. That will also be the case in the future.”—Agencies