Werder Bremen have been dealt a devastating early-season blow after confirming that midfielder Jens Stage is expected to miss several months with a serious thigh injury. The 29-year-old sustained the muscular injury during Bremen's final training session ahead of their Bundesliga opener against SC Freiburg . Subsequent examinations confirmed the severity of the problem, with head coach Daniel Thioune revealing that Werder do not expect Stage to return to action before the end of the current 2026 calendar year.
That represents an especially damaging loss for a Bremen side already entering the new campaign with significant questions surrounding its attacking output. Get German Football News highlighted Stage's importance to Werder in our 2026/27 tactical preview , with the Danish midfielder remaining one of the most important pillars of the squad. Stage has also been Bremen's most dependable goalscorer over the past two Bundesliga seasons, registering ten goals in each campaign. He began 2026/27 in similar fashion, scoring in Werder's 3-0 DFB-Pokal victory over Lüneburger SK Hansa.
"I feel incredibly sorry for Jens and we will now do everything we can to ensure his recovery goes as well as possible and that he gets fit again as quickly as possible," Thioune said in a club statement. "Given the severity of the injury, however, we do not expect Jens to be back on the pitch again this year. For us as a team, it is naturally also a hard blow. Jens is an absolutely key performer for our team, both on and off the pitch."
Stage has made 119 Bundesliga appearances for Werder since joining from FC Copenhagen in 2022, scoring 26 goals. His long-term absence now removes one of Bremen's most established leaders and their most consistent recent goal threat for a substantial portion of the Hinrunde.
