Karl Hein will step into the Bundesliga spotlight tonight when Werder Bremen travel to the Allianz Arena to face Bayern Munich, with the Arsenal goalkeeper set for his first appearance in Germany’s top flight.
Werder Bremen coach Horst Steffen confirmed that his regular No.1, 21-year-old Mio Backhaus, has been sidelined after suffering a shoulder injury in training, opening the door for Hein to start in Munich.
Steffen explained: “There was a collision in training. He has an injury to his shoulder, which causes pain and does not allow him to play.”
The 23-year-old joined Arsenal from Nõmme United in 2018, signing his first professional contract a year later. He made his senior debut in November 2022 in the EFL Cup against Brighton but has since built his experience through successive loans.
A short spell at Reading in the Championship was followed by a standout season with Real Valladolid in La Liga, where he made 31 league starts in 2024/25 and was praised by the president of Real Madrid for his performance against them.
The Estonian international has long been trusted at senior level, winning 41 caps for his country since his debut in 2020. Twice named his country’s Young Footballer of the Year, Hein is admired for his athleticism, calm distribution and maturity under pressure.
Tonight’s assignment against the defending Bundesliga champions is as tough as they come, yet it underlines why Arsenal sanctioned his loan to Bremen.
Hein has already shown he can adapt quickly to the demands of top-flight European football, and this debut offers him a chance to further establish himself in one of the continent’s most testing arenas.
However, it’s not clear if the player has a future at Arsenal. Hein’s current contract is an extension that was signed in the summer of 2024 and is believed to run until the end of his loan in Germany.
The Gunners are said to also have an option to extend that deal by a year.