Stage a doubt for Sunday

SV Werder Bremen face another crucial away match on Sunday, 12th April, at 15:30 CEST against 1. FC Köln. Head coach Daniel Thioune provided a squad update at the press conference ahead of Bundesliga matchday 29.

With Cameron Puertas suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards, a change in Werder’s midfield is inevitable for this weekend’s game. However, there is still a question mark over the return of Jens Stage, who has recently been struggling with muscular issues. “If he is fit to play, there is a strong chance he will be in the starting XI,” revealed Thioune, who will be carefully weighing up the risk of bringing him back too soon. “The medical department is doing everything possible to get him back ready to compete.”

The situation looks more positive for captain Marco Friedl, Niklas Stark and Justin Njinmah, the latter of whom had to cut short training earlier this week. “The chances of them being involved are quite good,” said Thioune. “We’ll have another medical meeting shortly, where I’ll learn more. One or two of them will return to training today.”

Victor Boniface, meanwhile, is not expected to be included in the squad. The striker is currently working towards making a comeback in the near future. “We’ve decided to reintegrate him through team training rather than individual sessions at this point,” explained Thioune. “At the moment, it’s still too early for him to make the trip to Cologne.” That said, this could change if a spot in the squad opens up.

In attack, Salim Musah recently caught many eyes with his first Bundesliga goal. Thioune did not rule out the possibility of the 20-year-old making his first start in Cologne. “He’s a candidate for the starting XI,” said the coach. “He’s earned it and worked hard for it.”

Karl Hein (thumb injury), Julian Malatini (syndesmosis ligament tear in the ankle), Wesley Adeh (ligament injury), Keke Topp (ACL tear) and Mitchell Weiser (ACL tear) remain unavailable.