#29 Per Mertesacker

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Mertesacker brought to hospital

Werder Bremen international player Per Mertesacker injured his knee during training on Tuesday and was brought to hospital for medical attention and further examination.

The training session was Mertesacker's first with the team since returning from holiday. On Monday, the 23 year-old player took a lactate test along with teammates Torsten Frings and Clemens Fritz.

"It didn't look good when it happened"

Managing director Klaus Allofs announced "that there is no precise information as of yet." "It didn't look good when it happened", said captain Frank Baumann, adding "but we have to wait for the diagnosis". Centre-back Naldo shared the sentiment: "Hopefully it's not bad, we need Merte."

Bundesliga - Die offizielle Webseite

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Bad news for Bremen!

Per Mertesacker will have to undergo operation on Wednesday (tomorrow) in Augsburg. He will be out for some weeks.

Knieoperation bei Mertesacker - Werder-Profi fällt wochenlang aus - transfermarkt.de

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Not good for bremen .. he is their best defender ....

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Diego goes to Olympia, Merte is injured and Sanogo is infected with Malaria. This is just great. -.-

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Successful Knee Op For Mertesacker

Werder Bremen centre back Per Mertesacker has undergone a successful knee operation after injuring himself at the club’s pre-season training camp.

The German international suffered the injury on his first day back training following his break after Euro 2008, and Werder trainer Thomas Schaaf has reported that the operation went well.

The giant defender will however miss the start of the Bundesliga season which is a massive blow to the Green and Whites. Schaaf will now have to find a new central defensive partner for Brazilian Naldo.

One likely replacement for Mertesacker is Sebastian Prödl.

"We got ourselves an important man there, he's enriched our team and made it stronger" Schaaf said. "He has demonstrated commitment and a good attitude; he works hard and seems self-confident.

"He's already proven that, for example in his international play and at the Euros. He's well on the way to making a name for himself."

Prödl is not, however, the only option to make up for Per Mertesacker's injury.

"Formations are never completely fixed - there are always a number of possibilities" said Schaaf.

"Form, fitness and how the players perform together" - those are the criteria you use to pick players."

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Mertesacker back in Bremen

Per Mertesacker is finally in a position to give a positive answer to the question that everyone has been asking him since the season started.

Per Mertesacker had a knee operation in July. He's on the mend and looking forward to playing football again, he said in an interview for WERDER.TV.

"No pressure, please!"

After his first session, "Merte" took questions from the media and exuded optimism: "Actually, it all went really fast. They did good work again at Donaustauf,." he says.

He says he doesn't know exactly when he'll be fit to play. "The bit of the meniscus that was blocking my knee has been removed. Now my knee has got to get used to the new situation. But I'm putting no pressure on myself. I'll be back only when I am 100 percent fit."

Praise for his rivals

He's getting support from his team mates. "I was back in Bremen last Friday and watched the game. That was good. Sebastian Prödl who's joined us is great. He performed really well," says Mertesacker who was part of Germany's runner-up team at EURO 2008.

He's not crying over missing the warm-up to the season: "Who knows?" he says: " Perhaps the injury was a good thing. My body needed a break and got one. I've had often suffered injuries when there haven't been a lot of games."

It's not the first time he's damaged his meniscus. "I suffered the same injury to the other knee in the final stages of the 2006/2007 season. That means I have no reason to be frightened because I played right through what was the most intense playing period of my whole career."

Schaaf doesn't want to put pressure on him

Merte is hoping his comeback this time will be just as successful. He's putting his all into it. "In a recovery period like this, you have to work harder than when you are fit. But I'll make it."

Head coach Thomas Schaaf has faith in him, but doesn't want to put him under pressure. "We'll increase the pressure slowly. We know he did some exercises in Donaustauf, but it's important to go forward step by step. Right now he's undergoing the normal recovery programme. In the next few days, we'll send him out to do certain exercises."

Bundesliga - Die offizielle Webseite

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Schaaf: Mertesacker Won't Be Rushed

Werder Bremen boss Thomas Schaaf has confirmed that star defender Per Mertesacker has stepped up his recovery from injury, but insisted that his comeback will not be rushed.

The German international suffered the injury on his first day back training following his break after Euro 2008, and Werder trainer Thomas Schaaf has reported that the operation went well.

But Schaaf remains cautious. He would prefer the towering defender to come back and stay back rather than return a week or two earlier and risk a further spell on the sidelines.

"We'll increase the pressure slowly. We know he did some exercises in Donaustauf, but it's important to go forward step by step," said Schaaf.

"Right now he's undergoing the normal recovery programme.

"In the next few days, we'll send him out to do certain exercises."

Goal.com - Werder Bremen - Schaaf: Mertesacker Won't Be Rushed