The French wizard spent most of the current season on the sidelines, mainly nursing a troublesome knee injury.

But as his comeback approaches, Ribery admitted that his time off the field wasn’t easy.

"I pray five times a day, as prescribed in Islam. That helps more mentally," the 26-year-old said in an interview with Bild.

"At first the pain was bad. You lose the facility, if one realizes that it's serious.

"I was very annoyed. During this time my wife and my daughters Wahiba Hiziya and Shahinez have given me back the smile. "

During the interview, Ribery reiterated his Bayern pledge, denying that he signed a pre-agreement with Real Madrid.