Thursday morning's training session ended early for Mehmet Ekici as he briefly grabbed at his knee and it was clear that he couldn't go on. "He got a knock yesterday and there was swelling above the knee," said head coach Robin Dutt. "He has thus far taken part in every training session in the preparation so now he will take a break - Memo will sit out tomorrow. The situation is beneficial because he will only miss one session, but he will therefore have four days of rest."

Ekici will also miss the test match on Sunday 14 July 2013 against Osnabrück. "He would be able to play but the squad is so big and we want to test some things out. So we are leaving him out. He will be back at training on Monday," said Dutt.

Back at Thursday's training meanwhile was Cimo Röcker. The youngster, who had been dealing with muscular problems since the training camp on Norderney, was able to train in full again. "Everything was good. I didn't have any problems. I hope that I can stay clear of the small issues," said Röcker after the training.

The Werder players were to have a special session in the afternoon - summer sledding and beach volleyball. "We have a very good spirit here. There's no sign of cabin fever. But still, it's important to have some other thoughts. That's why we wanted the players to see something else than just the pitch and the ball," said manager Thomas Eichin. "After the many football sessions, we wanted the guys to have some fun too in a different area. I made the time available and the team decided what they would do," said Dutt, who was looking forward to the afternoon. "I will definitely be on hand. I also like to have my fun," said the Bremen coach with a wink.