Arsenal loanee Karl Hein has found himself back on the bench at Werder Bremen, despite strong early-season performances and a recent international highlight.
The Estonian goalkeeper made a string of standout saves during a heavy defeat to Bayern Munich and later kept a clean sheet against St. Pauli in his first home start.
However, despite those displays, he has since been replaced by Mio Backhaus, who returned from injury to reclaim his starting role.
During the international break, Hein continued his impressive form by saving a penalty for Estonia against Italy.
But upon returning to Bremen, he found Backhaus reinstated in goal for matches against Heidenheim and Union Berlin.
Head coach Horst Steffen praised Hein’s performances but reaffirmed his trust in the young German goalkeeper.
“It remains the case that Mio is our number one,” Steffen said following the St. Pauli match. “But I rate Karl’s performance as good again today.”
Backhaus has faced challenges of his own, conceding 12 goals in his first five appearances of the season.
Yet Steffen appears committed to maintaining consistency in his lineup, especially given that Backhaus had to fight for his starting position last season before Michael Zetterer’s departure to Eintracht Frankfurt.
This decision leaves Hein in a difficult position as he looks for more regular minutes to aid his development.
Goalkeepers often face tougher conditions on loan spells, as rotation opportunities are rare and substitutions are uncommon.
For Hein, patience may be the only solution — unless injury or suspension creates another opening.
With Werder Bremen sitting mid-table and Backhaus seemingly locked in as first choice, Hein’s hopes of regular Bundesliga action may depend on external circumstances rather than performance alone.
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