After putting in some top-notch performances to start off 2024, things took a turn for the worse for Werder Bremen and club captain Marco Friedl. The Austria international tore a syndesmosis ligament in his right ankle during a training session and joined the long list of injured SVW centre-backs. In an interview with WERDER.DE, Friedl spoke about his recovery and confidently looked ahead to making a return to team training.
“The first session felt a bit weird, since I’d been out for almost four weeks,” stated the 26-year-old when asked about his return to training. “I felt a bit insecure at the beginning and took a bit of time to get back into the swing of things, but the work that I’ve done so far has gone smoothly.” As a result, Friedl is hoping to start training fully again in the coming weeks. The Green-Whites’ captain explained that he’s looking forward to seeing his teammates on the training pitch again after a long spell on the sidelines. Werder’s number 32 has also been given a boost by the upcoming arrival of his first child. “It’s taken my mind off things a bit. That’s why things have been going so well again,” grinned Friedl.
Friedl views the ongoing international break as an opportunity. “The break is really important for me personally, as it means that I have an extra week to work on my recovery,” he explained. It’s a double-edged sword for the defender, however, as it means that he’s missed out on the chance to play for Austria. “I know that I was in the running for the national team, so it's even more disappointing to be out injured at the moment,” stated Friedl, as he prepares to support his teammates from the comfort of his home. Werder’s captain will be hoping that things are different this summer, however, with Austria travelling to this summer’s European Championships in Germany. “My goal is to be on the plane to Germany, but a lot of things have to come together if that’s going to happen. There’s still a long time to go before the summer, though,” explained Friedl guardedly, before going on to say that he is in regular contact with Austria head coach Ralf Ragnick.
Friedl has also been speaking to his Werder colleagues a lot despite his injury. “I’m still right in the thick of things. I’m always keen to know what the team thinks about certain things.”
In the last four matches, we’ve really not made the most of our chances. We’ve got to get back into our rhythm.Marco Friedl
It’s clear to see that SVW’s centre-back is committed to his role as team leader. “It’s your responsibility as a captain to always be around the team, even when you can’t get involved in the action directly.” The captain didn’t mince his words when it came to the Green-Whites’ goals for the final stretch of the Bundesliga season. “In our last four matches, we’ve not really made the most of our chances. We’ve got to get back into our rhythm if we want to pick up some points and achieve our goals.” Friedl also laid out his personal aims ahead of his return to action. “I want to continue to perform well and keep having success with the team.”
