Team News: Eljero Elia, Franco Di Santo lead Werder Bremen attack

Eljero Elia and Franco Di Santo have been selected to lead the Werder Bremen attack against Hertha Berlin on the opening weekend of the Bundesliga season.

Felix Kroos, younger brother of recent Real Madrid signing Toni, will provide the majority of the support from midfield, with Poland international Ludovic Obraniak being forced to settle for a spot on the bench.

Hertha welcome summer signing Genki Haraguchi into the team for the first league game of the campaign, but there is no place for fellow new boy Valentin Stocker, who misses out due to injury.

Johnny Heitinga starts in the centre of defence for the visitors at the beginning of his Bundesliga career after leaving Fulham earlier this summer.

Werder Bremen: Wolf, Fritz, Lukimya, Caldirola, Garcia, Kroos, Makiadi, Junuzovic, Hajrovic, Elia, Di Santo

Hertha Berlin: Kraft, Pekarik, Heitinga, Hosogai, Ronny, Langkamp, Scheiber, Niemeyer, Haraguchi, Schulz, Beerens