Max Wober missed a chunk of Leeds United’s promotion season due to knee injuries.
On-loan Leeds United defender Max Wober has picked up an injury on the same knee that twice required surgery last season, according to reports in Germany.
Wober has been preparing for the 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign with his new temporary club, Werder Bremen, having joined on loan for the season last month. The Austrian’s second loan exit in three summers was confirmed before Leeds returned for pre-season, with new signings Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw providing the necessary depth at centre-back.
Werder Bremen have two friendlies against Udinese on Saturday before kicking their campaign off with a first-round cup game next weekend, although it’s unclear if Wober will be fit to make his debut. German outlet BILD reported on Wednesday the Leeds loanee was unable to complete training after a collision with teammate Patrice Covic.
Wober is said to have required ‘extensive treatment’ on his right knee before heading back to the dressing room ‘in frustration’. Fortunately for the 27-year-old, a long-term serious injury looks to have been ruled out but it remains to be seen if he will be back fit in time to start the season next weekend.
Get all your Leeds United news for just £1!
Join Graham Smyth and the team as they bring you exclusive coverage from Leeds United’s pre-season, from transfer news to Premier League build-up. Don’t miss out on this limited time offer - subscribe today to be a part of the action.
It’s not the start to life at Werder Bremen Wober would have wanted, particularly given he missed large parts of Leeds’ Championship title-winning campaign due to problems with his right knee. The defender had issues all season and twice underwent surgery, once in October and again in February.
Injury at the heart of Max Wober’s Leeds United struggles
Wober started just two Championship games as a result and was often on the periphery of things as Leeds picked up 100 points on their way to promotion, with little chance of usurping Pascal Struijk or left-back Junior Firpo. The Austrian international often struggled when involved but was not helped at all by his injury issues.
Read More
Leeds had initially been open to selling Wober this summer but would’ve needed to receive around £4.8million in order to avoid posting a loss in Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) terms. It would appear no prospective suitors were willing to pay that sum and so a loan made financial sense, meaning any sale next summer would instead need to bring in a minimum of £2.4m.
Wober could end up being joined at Werder Bremen by another Leeds loanee, with recent reports suggesting Isaac Schmidt had agreed in principle the terms of a season-long switch. That, of course, will likely be dependent on Daniel Farke getting a replacement in first, given the Swiss international had to play against Villarreal on Saturday with Jayden Bogle injured.
Leeds are a little light in terms of full-back cover, with Schmidt and Sam Byram the only back-ups for clear first-choice pairing Bogle and Gabriel Gudmundsson. That is one of a few key positions recruitment chiefs are still looking to add ahead of the transfer window closing on September 1, the others being first-choice options at left-wing and upfront.
Continue Reading