This is what passion at the end of the season looks like. The train carrying the Werder players and the coaching staff, including the injured goalkeeper coach Michael Kraft...
This is what passion at the end of the season looks like. The train carrying the Werder players and the coaching staff, including the injured goalkeeper coach Michael Kraft...
This is what passion at the end of the season looks like. The train carrying the Werder players and the coaching staff, including the injured goalkeeper coach Michael Kraft, rolled into Gelsenkirchen Friday afternoon. The 44-year-old Kraft suffered a broken pinkie finger last Sunday and needed to have two hours of surgery on Tuesday. And he was back on the pitch on Thursday "to bring back some circulation", said Kraft, who was back on the ball at the final training despite a blood-filled finger bandage.
"I can only play with my feet. The finger cannot see the ball for six weeks, then it should be healed," said Kraft, who of course did not want to miss the last two games of the season. "Whenever you work on something the whole season and push for them, then you do not stay at home sick," said "Tiger", as his colleagues call him. But he will be a tourist at Veltins Arena. "We are a very well-rehearsed coaching staff. I will take over the program for the reserves on Saturday while Matthias Hönerbach gets Tim Wiese ready for the game. This exchange of roles worked well in the past as well, whenever it was necessary," added Kraft.
Other than the banged up goalkeeper coach, the Green-Whites will have everyone available. Head coach Thomas Schaaf had 22 healthy players in training, 18 of whom were nominated for the game against Schalke. Not in the squad is striker Sandro Wagner and the once-again-healthy Peter Niemeyer as well as Aymen Abdennour and Said Husejinovic.
The roster includes: Wiese, Wiedwald, Naldo, Mertesacker, Pasanen, Fritz, Boenisch, Prödl, Frings, Özil, Bargfrede, Marin, Hunt, Almeida, Pizarro, Jensen, Rosenberg, Borowski.
