Claudio Pizarro has been passed fit to face his former club Bayern
Munich tomorrow as Werder Bremen look to end the record German
champions' five-game winning streak.
The Peruvian striker twisted his knee in training a week ago
and missed Bremen's first match of the year against Eintracht
Frankfurt last weekend, but he has recovered in time to face the
side he represented 174 times between 2001 and 2007, scoring 71
goals.
"Claudio has trained well for the whole week and he has no
more ailments," said coach Thomas Schaaf.
"He is looking forward to this game."
Joining Pizarro in the Bremen team should be new signing
Aymen Abdennour, who is set to make his debut at left-back.
"This is a fantastic chance for Aymen to be able prove
himself here," added Schaaf. "The stronger the opponent, the easier
it will get for him."
Abdennour's opponent on the pitch tomorrow could hardly come
any stronger, with Franck Ribery poised for his long-awaited
comeback for Bayern.
"I am feeling 100% fit and I have no pain anymore," the
Frenchman told Munich's Tz newspaper.
"But I don't know what the coach has in mind. I am fit, but
you will have to ask the coach whether I start."
Start or not, the 26-year-old is nevertheless expected to
make his first appearance in three months at the Weser Stadion
tomorrow.
If he can help Bayern to a sixth straight Bundesliga victory,
it would be enough to take them to the top of the table should
Schalke drop points at Bochum.
Bremen have lost their last three Bundesliga matches and know
they cannot afford to lose any more ground on the leaders, making
this a pivotal game in their season.
"The time has come for us to obtain different results," said
Schaaf. "There is already a distance to the top and we have got to
make sure this does not get any greater."
