Werder coach Daniel Thioune backs Salim Musah for increased Bundesliga minutes

Salim Musah is turning heads in Werder Bremen’s summer training camp in Zell am Ziller, earning strong praise from head coach Daniel Thioune and positioning himself for more minutes in the new Bundesliga season.

After Werder’s 2-0 friendly win over Japanese side Fagiano Okayama, Thioune singled out the 20-year-old striker for his impact off the bench.

“Salim is an exciting player. He came on against Okayama, immediately held the ball up, asserted himself and got into shooting positions,” the coach told local outlet Deichstube, highlighting Musah’s physical presence and confidence in the final third. Last season, the forward broke through late on, making eight Bundesliga appearances and scoring once, and Thioune now believes he is ready for a more consistent role.

“Compared to last season, Salim is closer to getting more Bundesliga minutes,” Thioune said, stressing that the youngster’s development is far from finished and that he expects Musah to be on the pitch more often in the future.

His transition from youth to senior football has been smoother than expected, particularly in duels with experienced, physically strong defenders, and he also showed more creativity and swagger against Okayama. Werder are still searching the market for a starting-calibre striker, meaning Musah will have to fight for his minutes, but his current trajectory is promising.