WHUFC.com
West Ham United are ready to face German Cup holders Werder Bremen on
Saturday afternoon
18.07.2009
West Ham United's preparations for the 2009/10 Barclays Premier League
season step up a gear when they play German giants Werder Bremen on Saturday
- with live text commentary and photos to come on whufc.com.
Gianfranco Zola's side will travel 50km from their base to take on the
German Cup holders in Bad Waltersdorf. Several senior first-team players are
set to get their first taste of pre-season match action after only joining
up with the squad on Monday following games with their national teams in
June.
Luis Boa Morte should be back along with England trio Robert Green, Matthew
Upson and Carlton Cole. New signing Luis Jimenez could possibly get his
first taste of action in a West Ham shirt, although Scott Parker is unlikely
to play after only three days of training this week.
"All the internationals who joined up with us last week will be expected to
play at least 45 minutes of the game," said first-team coach Steve Clarke.
"It will be their first introduction into the matches here.
"We'll have a different shape and balance and the longer the match goes on
and players tire, then we will introduce some of the younger players for
whom it will be great experience."
Bremen finished tenth in the Bundesliga last season and kick-off their
2009/10 campaign against Eintracht Frankfurt on the same day that the
Hammers host Napoli in the Bobby Moore Cup. This means that Thomas Schaaf's
men may be slightly further ahead in their pre-season fitness work than
their opponents on Saturday.
Clarke added: "I imagine they are on a similar level of fitness to us, as
their season finished just a week after ours. They won the German Cup - so
they are obviously a good team.
"These games are about getting the team to start to work together, play
together and how they respond to everything. Results are still important, as
you don't want to lose, but all these games we play are for when the real
thing starts in August."
After five days of glorious sunshine the weather at the training
headquarters in Bad Radkersburg has finally broken with dramatic
thunderstorms and rain. But the change in conditions does not seem to have
affected the mood in the camp.
"They have been working very well, had a good week now of it and are ready
for the game, of which we are looking forward to."
As well as ensuring the players' fitness is up to the test of a long, hard
season in England's top flight, Clarke lays equal importance to the desire
to return to the UK with no new injury problems.
"If you don't get any knocks during a pre-season, then none of us are doing
our jobs properly. I think everyone would say they have a little knock or an
ache somewhere but by and large, no big injuries, which is what we want to
keep going.
"These games we are playing are all for preparing for the new season ahead,
so getting fitness is the key and of course, touch wood, getting no
injuries."
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