Leeds United loaning Maximilian Wöber to Werder Bremen has been a disaster for everyone involved so far.
The 27-year-old wasn’t much wanted at Elland Road in the summer, as Daniel Farke prioritised players he believed were fully committed to the club. Wöber had bailed when Leeds United were relegated to the Championship, going on loan to Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Despite having a reasonably priced buying clause, the Bundesliga club sent the Austrian back to England. That saw Wöber then move to Werder Bremen on loan in July.
Since then, he’s had a grand total of 79 minutes on the pitch, and is out with a muscle injury. The defender’s only appearance came in an August cup match against second division Arminia Bielefeld.
Wöber spoke to the German media in October and shared confidence he could return in November. Then, when November actually arrived, it was reported the player was still some way from training with his teammates.
Repeated delays to full return
At the time, Werder Bremen official Peter Niemeyer tried to give a positive outlook: “There’s no question of a setback. The healing process is simply taking a little longer.
“He’s putting his situation into perspective and showing the necessary patience. Throughout his injury, he’s stayed close to the team, which is good for him and the group. As a positive person, he contributes a lot.”
Thursday’s edition of Bild reports a fresh setback for the Leeds United player.
The German newspaper state: ‘The Austrian was supposed to stabilise the defence and support the young talents with his experience. But that didn’t happen.
‘Wöber suffered a serious thigh muscle injury in the cup during Werder’s first-round exit in Bielefeld and was sidelined for the remainder of 2025.’
He managed to return for a friendly during the winter break, getting 45 minutes in a test match against St. Pauli. That was enough to have him injured again.
Leeds United unlikely to see clause used
Wöber is out with a muscle issue again and is unable to train.
The same Werder official has been wheeled out to comment: “Max’s muscular problems make it a close call for the Hoffenheim game. We’ll have to see how things develop after Saturday.”
That makes it sound like another return could be close. However, Bild make the following clear: ‘Due to the numerous absences, it’s becoming increasingly unlikely that Werder will exercise their agreed purchase option for Wöber.’
Leeds United have the player on a contract lasting until 2027. Don’t be surprised if he manages a little run of fitness before the season ends, especially given Austria have qualified for the World Cup.
