Pizarro fit to face former club

Published Jan. 22, 2010 4:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

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."