Werder Bremen manager Daniel Thioune has suggested that Victor Boniface may still miss out on selection when the team face FC Augsburg this weekend.
Boniface, who is currently on loan at SV Werder Bremen, has had a difficult season with injuries. A knee problem kept him out for a long period, and at one point, it looked like his campaign was already over.
He has now returned to the squad, but he is still easing his way back. Last weekend’s game against Stuttgart showed that clearly he made the bench but didn’t get any minutes.
But match fitness is different from just being available.
That alone was a positive step, considering how long he had been out.
Still, the situation hasn’t fully changed.
“It was important for Victor to be back. It worked well last week,” Thioune was quoted by Bild.
“With the return of Marco Friedl and Marco Grüll, I’ll have to make decisions that may go against one or two players.”
Competition in the squad is now tighter and that could work against Boniface for now. Thioune also made it clear that being physically strong won’t automatically guarantee him a place in the team.
“I have other physically strong strikers available. We’ve really benefited from Salim Musah, and Jovan Milosevic offers a similar profile,” he added.
For Boniface, it’s now about patience.
He has done the hard part getting back fit. The next step is working his way into the coach’s plans and earning minutes again. Whether that starts this weekend or not remains to be seen.
But one thing is clear he’s close, just not fully there yet.
