Niclas Füllkrug is in line for his first starting appearance for Werder Bremen in their Bundesliga opener against SC Freiburg. Coach Daniel Thioune hinted on Friday that the 33-year-old striker could begin the match on Sunday, as reported by Bild Sport.
Füllkrug marked his Werder comeback in the DFB-Pokal with a converted penalty in the 3-0 win over Lüneburg. Thioune was impressed with the new signing's condition. "Sein Körper ist trotz der geringen Einsatzzeit zuletzt in einem überraschend guten Zustand," said the 52-year-old coach. Integrating the forward will be a process, however. Some fans fear a repeat of last year's Victor Boniface flop, but Füllkrug is already considered an important part of the team.
What is Werder's personnel situation?
Werder's situation has eased somewhat ahead of the season start. Goalkeeper Karl Hein, who missed the cup match due to injury, will be back in goal against Freiburg. Surprisingly, Eren Dinkçi, on loan from SC Freiburg, is also traveling with the squad. The attacking player trained fully this week and is available, but according to Thioune, he is not yet ready for a starting spot.
Four players are missing for Werder Bremen's first Bundesliga match. Oskar Wojcik has muscular problems, Mitchell Weiser is in reconditioning training. Felix Agu is struggling with a calf injury and Keke Topp is out long-term with a cruciate ligament tear. A possible starting lineup against last season's seventh-placed team looks like this: Hein; Schmetgens, Pieper, Friedl, Deman; Reis, Lynen, Stage; Njinmah, Füllkrug, Mbangula.
What does this mean for SC Freiburg?
For SC Freiburg, the new season begins with a home challenge against last season's 15th-placed team. Werder, under Thioune, aim to reach the 40-point mark as quickly as possible. Freiburg finished the 2025 season in seventh place with 47 points from 13 wins, eight draws and 13 losses. The team scored 51 goals but conceded 57, resulting in a negative goal difference of minus six. They trailed leaders Bayern Munich by 42 points. The recent form from the final five matches of the past season shows a mixed picture: WLDLW.
When and where is the match broadcast?
Kick-off at Bremen's Weserstadion is set for Sunday at 15:30. The match will be broadcast live on the streaming service DAZN. For Freiburg, it is the first of 34 seasonal steps, all of which can be found in our fixtures overview. Christian Streich's team wants to build on last season's solid performance and re-establish itself in the upper midfield.
Thioune left little doubt about his plans for Füllkrug. "Es sollte daher niemanden überraschen, wenn er am Sonntag zu den Startern gehört," the Werder coach stated. For the experienced forward, it would be the next logical step after his cup goal. Bremen hope he will add more punch to their attack. SC Freiburg's current squad composition can be viewed anytime on our squad page. The duel promises excitement as both teams start the new campaign with different ambitions.
