RB Leipzig coach Marco Rose is continuing to rely on striker Timo Werner (27) for the time being, although the Bundesliga club has already given the international the go-ahead for a possible move in the winter transfer window. "Nobody from the club has spoken about a transfer or a release or anything like that. That means we are holding talks internally. Timo with those around him. There are overall situations," said Rose ahead of the Bundesliga chasing duel this Saturday (18:30/Sky) at Borussia Dortmund. Werner, who was recently left out of the national team, is still out due to adductor problems.
"Fight, work, keep going, it's our boy who has already proven his qualities. And yet there is a phase in your career where you might be on the wrong track yourself," said Rose about Werner, who returned from Chelsea FC in August 2022. Players such as André Silva, Yussuf Poulsen, Kevin Kampl and Benjamin Henrichs have also all had difficult phases. "Even under me. And they all managed to get themselves back into position somewhere," said the 47-year-old.
"It's not as if someone is pushed into a corner somewhere and the issue is over. Every training performance, every match performance, every effort is rewarded, that's it. It's always the same in professional soccer in the long run, it's about performance," Rose explained. Werner, who had already played for Leipzig between 2016 and 2020, was unable to build on his record from his first spell at RB with 95 goals in 159 Bundesliga games after his return.
Werner has been in a slump in form since the start of the season. He has only made sporadic appearances because new signing Lois Openda is the main man in Leipzig's attack and Poulsen and Benjamin Sesko have taken the place of Leipzig's record goalscorer. "Timo is our player, Timo is a top player, Timo is having a difficult season, Timo is valued in the squad, is valued by the coaching team, is valued by the club," said Rose.
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