While head coach Thomas Schaaf was taking part in an elite coaching seminar in Nyon among the top bosses in Europe about the newest developments in professional football and many Werder players were on national team duty, assistant coach Matthias Hönerbach ran Thursday morning's training.

There were 19 players available to Hönerbach, though one player who was missing on Thursday was Lukas Schmitz. "I received a knock on my knee. I can take a lot so I hope I will not be out too long," said Werder's left back, who will likely be out the next couple days.

Werder's new acquisition Florian Hartherz is expected in Bremen in time for the test match against Union Berlin on Saturday 3 September 2011 at 3:30 p.m. at the An der Alten Försterei Stadium (live ticker at WERDER.DE). "Florian will play tonight with the (German) U19 team against Belgium. If he doesn't arrive in Bremen with any bumps or bruises then he will be at training in the morning," said Hönerbach about the German youth international, who was signed yesterday from Wolfsburg.