Overview
- Niclas Füllkrug has been scoring freely for Werder, including a two‑goal outing that extended his run of goals, but he said he is not interested in a Germany recall and will concentrate on his club.
- Werder coach Daniel Thioune said the club will limit overload risk and may use Füllkrug only as a substitute in the DFB‑Pokal tie at Borussia Dortmund to protect his fitness.
- Dortmund coach Niko Kovac warned that Füllkrug is hard to stop, confirmed winger Konstantinos Karetsas remains sidelined with a ligament injury, and the match will be shown free‑to‑air on ZDF.
- Several other clubs reported key squad updates for the second cup round: Mainz could have goalkeeper Robin Zentner back in the squad, and FC Augsburg condemned racist online abuse of Juma Bah while saying he is likely available for the Pokal.
- The second round’s single‑elimination format and free‑to‑air coverage increase public scrutiny of selection choices, which raises short‑term pressure on coaches to balance immediate cup ambitions with players’ long‑term health and form.