"Merte" back but four out for return leg in France

Naldo and Per Mertesacker are available for the UEFA Cup Round of 16 return leg.
First Team
Tuesday, 17.03.2009 / 16:09

When the airplane carrying the Werder Bremen team lifted off Tuesday morning for Saint-Etienne, Per Mertesacker was on board. The German international defender was out sick and missed the UEFA Cup first leg against...

When the airplane carrying the Werder Bremen team lifted off Tuesday morning for Saint-Etienne, Per Mertesacker was on board. The German international defender was out sick and missed the UEFA Cup first leg against the French as well as the Bundesliga match against Stuttgart. But he trained again Monday morning and is making the trip to France. "It went really well. Usually it's pretty tough to get back into things after laying in bed a couple of days. But I feel really good," the 24-year-old Mertesacker said after Monday's training.

 

Also with Per Mertesacker on board is fellow interior defender Naldo, who is suspended for one more match in the Bundesliga but can play against St.-Etienne. Head coach Thomas Schaaf will, however, be without injured Petri Pasanen and Daniel Jensen; suspended Frank Baumann, who picked up his third yellow card in the 1-0 home first leg victory; as well as the sick Clemens Fritz.

 

Pasanen sprained an ankle ligament in the Bundesliga game against Stuttgart while Jensen is not yet available after getting substituted out of the UEFA Cup first leg with a broken nose. "I actually feel pretty good. I don't have any pain any more. And I can run again. Now I hope I can get the cast off on Wednesday and with a mask work again with the ball. Luckily, I didn't injure my leg," joked the Danish international.

 

Head coach Thomas Schaaf nominated the following 18 players for the game at AS Saint-Etienne: Wiese, Vander – Boenisch, Naldo, Tosic, Vranjes, Rosenberg, Diego, Özil, Hunt, Prödl, Tziolis, Frings, Almeida, Pizarro, Niemeyer, Mertesacker, Harnik

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