FC St. Pauli

Alexander Blessin on…

...Werder Bremen: "It's going to be a big challenge. We've watched lots of Bremen games because they've been playing rival teams. The coach's stamp is clearly visible, and I've seen a very well organised team every time. They have lots of individual quality and are very cohesive as a team and flexible in their play. We'll need to show high levels of concentration and a good performance if we're to take anything from the game."

...the injury situation: "Karol Mets won't play again this year. It makes no sense, and I don't want to put him under any pressure. He needs to make sure he gets fit again and comes back stronger in the new year. Scott Banks completed the whole session today without showing a reaction. The question is whether it's too soon for the bench. I think it is, but it'll definitely be on the agenda for the Stuttgart game, which will give us a bit more pace up top. There's nothing we can say on the extent to which Connor Metcalfe can feature in our plans – this year I don't think so. Robert Wagner did some running for the first time today, but he'll need some time."

...replacing the suspended Morgan Guilavogui: "I don't want to give too much away. We'd like to spring a bit of a surprise, whether we go with Erik Ahlstrand or Danel Sinani. Danel has a bit more ball control and the pass in behind. Erik gives us a bit more pace in deep. Both have a strong left foot, so we'll have to see."

...his personal view of Werder Bremen: "I associate them with the typical northern German. I always enjoyed playing in Bremen even as a youth player. The club is very well run and they go about their business very quietly. In the last few years we've seen how well they've managed their finances and strengthened the squad. They kept calm in phases when things were getting a bit tight. They consolidated well after relegation and stuck to their principles.“

...the fitness of the players approaching the winter break: "If you go through the clubs in the Bundesliga, we aren't the only ones affected. Even normal clubs who don't have two-match weeks at the moment are more susceptible to injuries. In our workload management we've paid meticulous attention to ensuring the lads are fresh at the weekend. All in all we have lots of players who've played lots of games recently. In the last two games before the break we want to go the limit again and perform to the maximum. After that, though, we'll be really happy to treat the lads to a couple of days off. That's what we're working towards."

 …the squad: "We already knew we didn't have the biggest squad when we were planning, but with the backup we have we know we can make changes, so we have a well-honed unit and that's important to me as a coach. With a bigger squad, you have more unhappy players. I thought the size of the squad was good from the outset. We have a few injuries now, but you can't legislate for that. In my opinion we've been able to compensate well."

Photos: Witters