Werder Bremen missing three for Inter Milan clash
Clemens Fritz, Torsten Frings and Claudio Pizarro will not take part for Werder Bremen in this week's Champions League contest with title holders Inter Milan. Both Fritz and Pizarro were subbed off during
their weekend victory over Hamburg both suffering thigh injuries, while team captain Frings is said to have suffered heavy bruising on his hip.
Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf seems fully aware of what losing such an impactful trio of players will mean over the short term as they now face the unenviable task of walking into the Giuseppe Meazza stadium
in Milan looking to steal points without the spine of their side.
"This is a harsh blow to us, a huge loss of quality ahead of a difficult trip," said Schaaf.
Schaaf is already without the services of Naldo, Petri Pasanen and Sebastian Boenisch due to knee injuries, but this most recent meeting with local rivals Hamburg must seem like an almost crippling blow
to a side struggling at the moment in middle of the table of the German Bundesliga.
Striker Hugo Almeida, who scored two goals over the weekend and one of Werder Bremen's two goals in their opening Champions League match, will be looked upon for more heroics but will be in short supply
of quality players to provide him with opportunities.
Both Werder Bremen and Inter Milan played to 2-2 draws against England's Tottenham Hotspur and the Netherland's Twente Enschede respectively on matchday one. Wednesday's group A matches will be seen as
pivotal in tipping the balance and determining who will likely take control of the group.
The one bright spot for Bremen was the return of fullback Per Mertesacker to the lineup after injury. Mertesacker was included in the lineup that defeated Hamburg over the weekend and put in a solid performance.
The pressure will be on him to keep the likes of Samuel Eto'o and Diego Milito in check and off the score sheet.
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