Rashica returns to Werder training pitch
Winger Milot Rashica's courtesy week draws to a close. With a black bandage taped over his right knee, the 24-year-old Kosovar returned to Werder Bremen training on Tuesday.
The conspicuous failure to find a replacement for departed starting midfielder Davy Klaassen looms large over Florian Kohfeldt's squad as Bundesliga play gets set to resume this weekend. There was nevertheless some good news on display in Tuesday's training session.
The Werderaner's most reliable scoring threat, still awaiting his first appearance of the 2020/21 cycle, found himself back on the training pitch. The long summer transfer saga concluded without the high valued obtaining his desired transfer to a more competitive club.
The club for which he still plays now needs him more than ever. Klaassen's move to Ajax means the team lost last season's second highest goal-scorer. The Dutchman banged home nine tallies across all competitions last year. Only Rashica and striker Yuya Osako scored more for the Hanseaten.
Rashica scored a total of 11 times in 2019/2020 league and Pokal fixtures. Osako, who found the back of the net nine times, should also be available for the club's weekend encounter against Freiburg. For now, the attacker international remains in precautionary quarantine after returning from national team duty with Japan.
Kohfeldt's side did manage a confidence-building win with a 4-1 defeat of St. Pauli in an international break exhibition. Josh Sargent and Leonardo Bittencourt scored while Tahith Chong netted a brace.
The Hanseaten carry a two-game winning streak into fourth round play, having beaten Schalke and Bielefeld in the 2nd and 3rd Bundesliga rounds.