"The change of coaches at Werder Bremen has brought a new energy to the team and the club. It will be a tough task to beat this team after the international break," declared Bayer 04 head coach Roger Schmidt at the pre-match press conference in the media centre at the BayArena, as ever broadcast live at www.bayer04.de and on Facebook.
It remains to be seen whether the coach will have all his players available with the obvious exception of long-term injuries Karim Bellarabi, Vladlen Yurchenko and Joel Pohjanpalo. It appears Julian Baumgartlinger and Aleksandar Dragovic have recovered from knocks picked up playing for Austria. "Both were able to train normally without any major problems. I'm assuming they will be available for Saturday,"
The boss was unable to provide a final update on the trio of Wendell, Charles Aranguiz and Robbie Kruse but all the other internationals have returned to Leverkusen safe and sound. "Wendell, Charles and Robbie are only returning today or tomorrow so will wait to speak to them to see what condition they're in." Chicharito, who unusually was not picked by the Mexico coach this week, had the chance to use the time on rest and recovery as he finally gets over his broken hand.
"Chicharito is in good shape"
The striker has certainly been working hard in training after returning from injury. "Chicharito returned in positive mood and full of energy. He has – like the whole squad – completed a very intense week of training. We are in good shape," declared a pleased Roger Schmidt happy with his group in training. The head coach is also clear what he wants for Saturday night: "The home win against a top team like Borussia Dortmund ahead of the international break was important and now it’s equally important to carry on in Bremen and further solidify our position with an away win. With the experience gained in the last few games we'll give our all."
After just two points from their last four games, the situation has become trickier for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the bottom third of the table. Only three points separate the Foals from the relegation play-off spot. Coach Eugen Polanski's team is under pressure ahead of the home game against the Werkself on Saturday, 7 February (kick-off: 18:30 CET). The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Calling all eSports fans: On Saturday, 21 February (from 16:00 CET), the Werkself Wildcard Cup will take place at XPERION Köln (Hansaring 97, 50670 Cologne). Interested EA FC 26 amateur players will have the opportunity to win attractive prizes and a place in the VBL Open Play-offs by WOW. The play-offs are the final preliminary stage of the VBL Grand Final by WOW, the tournament for the German individual championship and, alongside the club championship (VBL CC), the most important sub-competition in the German eSports scene. Read on for information on registration.
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At its first general meeting on 5 February 2026 in Frankfurt am Main, the Frauen Bundesliga FBL e.V. made key decisions regarding the future direction of the Women’s Bundesliga. The meeting was based on the results of the negotiations with the German Football Association (DFB) over the past few weeks.
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Another efficient performance from the Werkself in the 3-0 home win against FC St. Pauli saw them reach the semi-finals of the DFB Pokal for the third time in a row, and it was not the only record set on what was a successful evening. It meant head coach Kasper Hjulmand was delighted to "still be in with the chance of winning something". Like the coach, however, the ambitious Edmond Tapsoba also stated that he wanted to keep "improving" bit by bit: "We'll continue to give our all, no matter who we come up against." The Werkself review of the clash.
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