When Sebastian Prödl left the training grounds Saturday afternoon he did not know for certain if he had done it or not. "Am I on board now?" Werder's Austrian international defender asked the Bremen coaching staff somewhat irritated. But no one really wanted to say for sure if Prödl was named to Werder's squad for the Hannover match at home on Sunday. Head coach Thomas Schaaf couldn't do so since he was behind Prödl still on the pitch. Not until shortly before the way to the changing room did assistant coach Wolfgang Rolff let the 24-year-old know with a big smile: "I will not play, so you are on board."
Prödl pumped his fists and raised his arms into the sky and let loose a short celebratory scream. "I am really excited to be back again. It is important for me to be part of the team again. I have overcome the first hurdle," said the defender, who is back in the SV Werder squad for the first time since his serious facial injury from the Kaiserslautern match.
Schaaf nominated the following 18 players for the home match against Hannover: Wiese, Mielitz, Sokratis, Affolter, Fritz, Prödl, Hartherz, Schmitz, Bargfrede, Kroos, Ignjovski, Ekici, Junuzovic, Trybull, Marin, Rosenberg, Füllkrug, Pizarro