Bremen lose Wiese for Bayern clash

Werder Bremen’s Tim Wiese has pulled out of this weekend’s Bundesliga clash with Bayern Munich for personal reasons.

The 29-year-old’s father lost his battle with cancer this week and the goalkeeper has been excused from club duty on compassionate grounds.

Wiese did not train on Tuesday or Wednesday and coach Thomas Schaaf was not sure when the player will return to action.

“I spoke with him this morning (Wednesday),” Schaaf told the club’s official website. “It is difficult to handle. We must see how he feels in the next few days.”

Wiese’s absence is likely to result in a start for understudy Sebastian Mielitz. Meanwhile, Werder captain Clemens Fritz and Claudio Pizarro also missed training on Tuesday.

Fritz was struggling with a minor back problem, but Pizarro, who spent the day working with club physio Sven Plagge, remains sidelined with a knee ligament problem and it is not yet known if the Peruvian striker will be fit to face his former club at the weekend.

Bremen go into Saturday’s meeting with Bayern at the Allianz Arena in fourth in the Bundesliga standings, just two points behind their hosts and one further adrift of co-leaders Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Moenchengladbach.