Bundesliga - Staff shortage and rumors: Werder before the end of the first half of the season
Naby Keita has been greeted with much euphoria at Werder Bremen this season, but the technically gifted transfer has so far been conspicuous by his absence. The 28-year-old new signing from Liverpool FC has been plagued by injuries since starting work in the summer.
His involvement against former club RB Leipzig on Tuesday (18:30/Sky) is also questionable due to stomach problems. "There's hope that he'll still be fit tomorrow. Otherwise he's not feeling well, a bit of stomach problems," said coach Ole Werner before the game. The 28-year-old had been to the doctor in the morning.
"With Naby, it's certainly not been easy for him either, especially this half-year due to the injuries," said head of professional soccer Clemens Fritz. The Guinea international has only made three appearances so far. Although the midfielder was fit again recently, he did not feature in the Werder squad.
Among other things, the summer transfer was absent for weeks due to an adductor and muscle injury. Keita is getting "all the support" from the club, said Fritz. He will travel to his national team Guinea at the end of the year to prepare for the Africa Cup.
On top of that, rumors have now surfaced publicly. The multimedia portal "Deichstube" reported on Monday that Keita "is always unpunctual and likes to duck out of the distribution of sponsor appointments, which are not particularly popular with the professionals".
Fritz defended his player on Monday. "There are always a lot of reports," he said. The ex-professional confirmed that Keita had not yet received any sanctions for unpunctuality. "There was nothing that we sanctioned," said Fritz.
In his 50th Bundesliga match, coach Werner wants to spring a surprise despite Leipzig's strength. Leipzig are currently the closest rivals to second-placed FC Bayern Munich, while Werder are just five points ahead of Cologne in the relegation zone. "Anything is always possible in soccer, especially in a home game here at the Weserstadion," said the coach about the last game of the year, adding: "And that's what I want to see from my team, that we look for our chance."
Werner is not only lamenting Keita's absence. Above all, the defense needs a rebuild. In addition to the absence of central defender Amos Pieper, the appearances of fellow defenders Niklas Stark and Milos Veljkovic are questionable.
Information about the match Werder Bremen Website Werder Bremen Squad Matchday Soccer Bundesliga Table Soccer Bundesliga Report of the "Deichstube"
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Source: www.stern.de
