Bremen relieved by Wiese recovery

Disastrous start
Regarded as one of the most promising custodians in the Bundesliga, great things were predicted for Wiese when he joined Bremen from 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the summer. However, the 24-year-old made a disastrous start to his career with Thomas Schaaf's side.

Cruciate damage
Before he had played a single minute of competitive football for Bremen, Wiese damaged cruciate ligaments in his left knee and immediately faced a long spell on the sidelines. But, after his appearance in a 1-0 friendly win against BV Borussia Dortmund in Turkey on Sunday, things are looking up.

Schaaf relieved
"I am delighted he had no problems with his knee and we can count on him again," said coach Schaaf, who will be pleased to have cover for the 37-year-old Andreas Reinke. "But we should not expect miracles from him. He still needs playing time to get back to his best."

Aging Reinke
Reinke has been the undisputed No1 for Bremen this season, but with a busy spring campaign ahead, featuring fixtures in the UEFA Champions League as well as the Bundesliga, the veteran may no longer be guaranteed a place in the starting lineup.

'Good foundation'
Having performed well against Dortmund, Wiese is set to challenge Reinke for Schaaf's favour. "I am happy I did not concede a goal," he said. "This is a good foundation for my work in the coming weeks. I will continue to work hard in order to become the keeper I used to be." Considering how good he was before injury struck, that is a backwards step that Bremen will be eager for Wiese to take.