Missing Captain: Marco Friedl's Injury Hampering Werder Bremen's Victory Streak
Marco Friedl, the captain of Werder Bremen, is currently sidetracked by an adductor problem and an MRI examination revealed his absence from the crucial game against Borussia Mönchengladbach on December 20, 2023 (20:30/DAZN).
A definite date for Friedl's return to the team lineup has not been confirmed yet, but Bremen officials have not ruled out a potential outing against RB Leipzig on December 19, 2023.
The Absence of Captain Friedl
This injury poses a significant challenge for Friedl, given his stellar performance in the team's recent win against Augsburg. During that game, the backup defenders – Niklas Stark, Milos Veljkovic, and Tony Jung – proved their mettle. In fact, Stark made his mark with a powerful performance and his first goal for Werder Bremen, while Veljkovic and Jung have been the go-to choices in the defensive line in recent weeks.
However, it remains to be seen if the team will maintain this collaboration or will Friedl find himself on the bench when he returns. Werner, the coach, doesn't typically alter his strategies when things are going well. Then again, he did substitute Friedl during the 4-2 loss in Heidenheim earlier this season, replacing him at the break.
A Crucial Time for Friedl
Given his continuous dedication to the side since 2019, this setback is a blow for the long-serving Bremen player. He harbors ambitions of representing Austria at the European Championships this summer. Unfortunately, the defender failed to make an impact in the Ösis squads since September 25, 2022, having been left out of the squad in the Nations League against Croatia.
It is essential for Friedl to secure on-field time during this phase to sway the national team coach, Ralf Rangnick, to reconsider his stance. In his absence, the team will rely on Stark, Veljkovic, and Jung to hold fort and protect the net for Bremen.
Additional Insights
According to RotoWire[1], Friedl is dealing with a strained medial ligament injury, and his recovery is likely to stretch into early April 2023. This would make it challenging for him to certify his fitness for the European Championships, scheduled to take place in June/July (typical timeline). However, his return and fitness for the tournament would depend on the Ösis team schedule and his rate of recovery.
- In the absence of Marco Friedl, Niklas Stark put forward an impressive performance with his first goal for Werder Bremen in their 2-0 victory against Augsburg.
- FB-Instantarticles reported that Milos Veljkovic and Tony Jung have been the primary defensive starters for Werder Bremen in recent matches.
- Werder Bremen sits at the sixth position in the Bundesliga league table as of the time of the article's creation, according to updates from Bundesliga at Bild.
- In the coming games, the Bremen team will need to rely on Veljkovic and Jung to maintain their defensive structure as they gear up for the challenge against RB Leipzig.
- Sport-enthusiasts can follow the team's performances and updates on these players using Sports Lighthouse Hamburg, the official platform for Werder Bremen.
- In an interview with Bundesliga at Bild, Werner Ole discussed his approach to making tactical adjustments during games, as well as his decision to replace Friedl during the 4-2 defeat in Heidenheim earlier in the season.
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