Bayern face injury woes
French international midfielder Franck Ribery will not be fit to play in Bayern Munich's encounter with Werder Bremen on Saturday owing to a thigh strain just as he had got over ankle ligament trouble, his club said Friday.
Bayern confirmed what the player had earlier told French sports daily L'Equipe following a training session.
"I felt renewed pain behind my right thigh. It's a strain so I shall have to miss this weekend's match against Werder," said Ribery.
Bayern coach Jurgen Klinsmann said it was not a major problem but he did not want to risk the player.
"It's a normal muscle strain as he trained hard this week - there's always a slight risk," said Klinsmann.
Ribery missed the midweek 1-0 Champions League win in Bucharest, but had then expressed the hope he would be able to come back Saturday for his first game of the season after tearing ankle ligaments playing for France during Euro 2008 in June.
On Thursday he had told Bild daily: "It would have been senseless (to play in Bucharest), I want to play against Bremen from the start."
Bayern are additionally without striker Miroslav Klose, who is not over a knee injury.
Klose, the top scorer at the 2006 World Cup, limped off at half-time during Bayern's 1-0 win at Steaua Bucharest in the Champions League on Wednesday night and faces a race to be fit for Saturday's clash at the Allianz Arena.
With current Bundesliga leaders Hamburg playing on Sunday, second-placed Bayern have a chance to go top of the table against Bremen, who have made a poor start to the season and who were held to a 0-0 draw by Cypriot minnows Anorthosis in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
In contrast, defending champions Bayern have scored seven goals in winning their last two games and confidence is high after Daniel van Buyten gave them a winning start to their Champions League campaign.
Bremen will have former Bayern striker Claudio Pizarro in their attack and the Peruvian says they are looking to make a statement in Munich. "We will go there with respect, but no fear," he said.
Having allowed a 3-0 lead to slip to a 3-3 draw at Dortmund last weekend, third-placed Schalke 04 host Eintracht Frankfurt without midfielder Fabian Ernst and defender Christian Pander who both received red cards in Dortmund.
Ernst was given a three-match ban after being shown a straight red for a dangerous tackle on Dortmund's Jakub Blaszczykowski.
Having beaten Greek side APOEL FC 4-1 in the UEFA Cup on Wednesday night, Schalke will welcome back Germany striker Kevin Kuranyi who missed the trip to Greece with a thigh injury.
Jefferson Farfan and Carlos Grossmueller are both struggling to be fit in time after suffering with the flu.
Also on Saturday, bottom side Energie Cottbus host mid-table Bochum and second-from-bottom Arminia Bielefeld take on Cologne.
With both teams in UEFA Cup action on Thursday, leaders Hamburg are at mid-table VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday the same day fifth-placed VfB Stuttgart are home to Karlsruhe.
And Hoffenheim host fourth-placed Borussia Dortmund also on Sunday.
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