As it appeared by the line-up for the final training game Werder full back Dominik Schmidt said Wednesday afternoon that believes he would have played against Hoffenheim. He used the words "would have" because an appearance in the opening match of the second half on Saturday took a major hit after Schmidt had to leave the training grounds Wednesday prematurely, limping off to the changing rooms.
"I just couldn't go any more after the last sprint with a thigh pull," said the 23-year-old Schmidt, who had to see physiotherapist Holger Berger and get his right leg wrapped.
Things were much better for the other 24 Green-Whites available for head coach Thomas Schaaf on Wednesday. The only players among the 28-man roster from the eight-day training camp in Belek who were missing other than long-time injured Sebastian Vander, Christian Vander, Naldo and Wesley were Leon-Aderemi Balogun, Pascal Testroet and keeper Bernd Düker, who left straight away for the U23 Bremen team's training camp in Spain.
While the team returned to the pitch for the first time since their return from Belek, it was the first true training session in Bremen for new acquisition Denni Avdic. "Of course everything is new for me. But it was a good training, I really felt good," said Werder's new No. 9.