Arsenal loanee praised but coach hints he’ll bench him anyway | OneFootball

Werder Bremen coach Horst Steffen insists Arsenal loanee Karl Hein still isn’t their first-choice goalkeeper, despite his positive performances in Mio Backhaus’ absence.

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Arsenal loan goalkeeper Karl Hein has made a positive impression in his first two appearances for Werder Bremen, performing admirably despite defeat to Bayern Munich before keeping a clean sheet against St. Pauli.

Hein had to wait for his chance in the team, with Werder Bremen boss Horst Steffen preferring Mio Backhaus in the initial games of the season. But with Backhaus out with a shoulder injury, Hein has been filling in for the last couple of games.

Yet despite the 23-year-old’s strong displays so far, Hein seems set to lose his spot when Backhaus returns.

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“It remains the case that Mio is our number one,” Steffen said after the St. Pauli game. “But I rate Karl’s performance as good again today.”

Backhaus had to earn his own spot in the Werder Bremen starting lineup, spending the entirety of last season on the bench behind Michael Zetterer, who subsequently left for Eintracht Frankfurt.

Perhaps Steffen feels it would be harsh on the 21-year-old if he dropped back to the bench so quickly for Hein’s sake.

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BILD Hannover’s Tuesday edition suggests that Hein exudes more confidence than Backhaus, and that the goalkeeper seems far too good for the bench.

But the same outlet adds that demoting Backhaus again would cause a rift that would be difficult to mend. As it stands, Backhaus is expected to be back in the Werder Bremen lineup when club football returns next weekend.