Werder Bremen have been hit by a major setback, with Jens Stage suffering a thigh muscle injury in training on Saturday. Subsequent scans on Sunday morning confirmed the damage, and Stage is not expected to return to first-team action until 2027. Daniel Thioune said the midfielder is a crucial figure on and off the pitch.
The injury update
Thioune’s update was clear about the length of the absence. Speaking to bundesliga.com, he said: "However, because of the severity of the injury, we don’t expect Jens to return before the end of the year." He also added: "I’m incredibly sorry for Jens and we’ll do all we can to give him as smooth a recovery as possible and get him fit again as soon as we can."
Stage had started the new campaign well enough before the setback. He has already scored 1 goal in 1 appearance for Werder this season, and his 8.2 rating in that outing points to a bright start before the injury changed the mood around the squad.
Werder's response
Thioune called it "a big blow for the team", and that feels accurate. Stage scored 10 goals in only 29 Bundesliga appearances last season, then finished the campaign with 27 goals and 12 assists in 126 outings for Werder Bremen. That is the kind of output and presence Werder will miss most while he recovers.
The timing is awkward for Werder too. They finished 15th in the Bundesliga last season and now face RB Leipzig at home on 5 September, the first of their next three league fixtures. Without Stage, the margin for error gets smaller before a difficult run even begins.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
