Werder Bremen will be without young striker Salim Musah until the new year. The 20-year-old sustained a serious thigh injury while on duty with the Germany U20 national team, the club confirmed on Tuesday.
Head coach Daniel Thioune expressed his dismay at the news. “That is incredibly bitter for Salim and I feel terribly sorry for him,” the coach said. Thioune described the absence as a severe setback for the team, which currently sits eighth in the Bundesliga table with seven points. “We will support Salim as best we can on his way back. However, he will only be available again in the new year,” Thioune added.
The injury hits Werder at a time when their attack is just finding its rhythm. While they have an established striker in Niclas Füllkrug, who has scored three goals this season, Musah had become an important alternative. The 1.98-metre-tall right-footer broke into the Bundesliga squad last season and scored his first top-flight goal in April 2026. In the current campaign, he made three substitute appearances in the league.
His loss exacerbates the attacking personnel situation, which is already strained by other absences. Jens Stage has been a long-term absentee since the start of the season with a thigh injury, and Justin Njinmah also suffered a muscle problem in August.
Salim Musah, a native of Oldenburg, has progressed through all of SV Werder's youth teams since 2017. After scoring 20 goals in 24 youth games the season before his Bundesliga debut, the club extended his contract in July 2025. Marc Dommer, then sporting director of the performance centre, praised Musah's physical presence, technique and finishing at the time. The youngster made his first Bundesliga start in May 2026.
The exact medical diagnosis and a concrete return date were not disclosed by the club. Werder's team doctors and the DFB medical department are in communication regarding the further treatment path, according to club statements. For Musah, the injury represents an abrupt halt in his promising development.
Daniel Thioune's team must now tackle the upcoming challenges without him. This includes a difficult away fixture on the next matchday against league leaders Borussia Dortmund. Following a 3-2 home win against Augsburg and a draw in Cologne, Werder aims to continue the positive trend of recent matches, visible in a WDWLW form line. The current league standings and all statistics are available under standings and stats. The next competitive match is on 9 October in Dortmund.
This story first appeared at Deutsche Presse-Agentur
