Werder Bremen - injuries & suspensions October 2026

Werder Bremen: 2026/27 season preview

Werder Bremen head into the 2026/2027 season after finishing only 15th, six points clear of the relegation zone. Daniel Thioune took charge during the season and managed to steady the team. He remained in the role, but the club opted for a major squad overhaul over the summer. Several key players left, and the club brought in young players above all, adding more experienced names to round out the squad.

Füllkrug returns to Bremen

The headline signing is the return of Niclas Füllkrug. The 33-year-old striker has joined on loan from West Ham United. Across his two previous spells at Werder, he scored 49 goals in 124 matches, and in the 2022/2023 season he shared the Bundesliga Golden Boot. Now he is expected to add firepower to the team’s attack and make use of his experience.

Cedric Itten has also joined the attack from Fortuna Düsseldorf, while Dawid Kownacki has returned after a loan spell at Hertha BSC. Keke Topp, Justin Njinmah and Marco Grüll remain in the squad. However, the departures of Victor Boniface and Jovan Milosevic at the end of their loan spells mean the attack will have to be reshaped once again.

Youth in midfield

Midfield is one of the key areas of the summer overhaul. Werder have signed Chuki from Real Valladolid and Dariusz Stalmach from 1. FC Magdeburg. Ludovit Reis has also joined the team, while Skelly Alvero has returned from his loan spell. Late in the transfer window, the club also brought in Youri Regeer on loan from Ajax. The Dutchman can play in several positions and gives Thioune another option for changing the team’s shape.

Chuki looks particularly intriguing. The 22-year-old Spaniard is an attack-minded player and is expected to take responsibility for creating chances. Jens Stage and Senne Lynen also remain in midfield, giving the coach a blend of experience and youth to call on.

Plenty of changes in defence

The overhaul has also affected the defence. Werder have lost, among others, Maximilian Wöber, Yukinari Sugawara and Mio Backhaus, who moved to Freiburg. Oskar Wójcik, Arthur and Moussa Ndiaye have joined the squad. Skelly Alvero has also returned from a loan spell, although his main position remains in midfield.

Captain Marco Friedl remains an experienced figure in defence. The Austrian can play at centre-back or on the left and remains one of the players Thioune can build his team around. Niklas Stark, Amos Pieper, Mitchell Weiser and Felix Agu are also in the squad. Karl Hein and Alexander Schlager will compete for the goalkeeper’s spot.

The fight for stability

Werder’s summer transfer policy points in a clear direction. The club did not try to replace every departing player with someone equally experienced. Instead, it opted to invest in younger players who are expected to gradually take on a bigger role in the first team.

Thioune’s task is therefore about more than results: he must also integrate the new arrivals into the Bundesliga. With so many young players in the squad, maintaining balance will be important, and Friedl, Füllkrug, Stage and Stark are expected to provide it.