Bremen's Prodl has operation

Werder Bremen defender Sebastian Prodl has successfully undergone surgery on his face after suffering multiple fractures in a clash at the weekend. Prodl's nose was fractured with his upper jaw also broken after being caught in the face by the boot of Kaiserslautern's Dorge Kouemaha. Furthermore, the Austria international was held overnight in Kaiserslautern due to concussion. He was today operated on in Bremen to correct the fractures and prepare his face for recovery. "It was not an easy operation, but there were no complications at all," reported Bremen's club doctor Gotz Dimanski, who observed the operation which was carried out by Dr Francois Lanners. "Sebastian will now remain in the clinic for a few days under observation and he is in very experienced hands there." Prodl is unlikely to return to action for several weeks. Kouemaha insists the clash was unintentional and, speaking on SWR television, he apologised for the ugly incident. "I called him on the phone but it was not so easy for him to speak so I sent him a text message and wrote to him how sorry I am and wished him a speedy recovery," said Kouemaha, who will also miss the next six weeks due to a groin injury. "He welcomed my gesture and said that he does not hold it against me and that it could so easily have happened the other way around."