Bremen lose cornerstone defender Toprak for several weeks
With five points separating them from the relegation playoff place, SV Werder Bremen appear to be stable enough to avoid being dragged down towards the drop.
A major injury in the defensive ranks, however, doesn't bode well for the club's prospects in the coming weeks.
SV Werder Bremen will have to do without their defensive chief for several weeks; possibly for the rest of the season. A major source of defensive stability bows out with a muscle fiber tear in his left calf.
A major injury in the defensive ranks, however, doesn't bode well for the club's prospects in the coming weeks.
Thirty-one-year-old former Dortmund and Leverkusen prospect Ömer Toprak has tallied twice this year. More importantly, he's often served as the vital linchpin in a back-three keeping the attacking starved XI from falling out of matches.
Prior to the injury, Toprak started and went the full 90 minutes in nine consecutive league matches for the first time since the 2012/13 season with Leverkusen. He had to be subbed off at the half in the most recent fixture against Leipzig.
"This is extremely bitter for Ömer," Kohfeldt said in a released statement, "Especially in recent months, he has proven how important he can be as a leader."
Should Kohfeldt wish to retain a back-three, Christian Groß and Niklas Moisander are the best candidates for a centralized pillar.