The Earthquakes’ new marquee signee could make his team debut Saturday at PayPal Park.
Timo Werner has been cleared to play in Saturday’s game against Atlanta United (4:30 p.m., Apple TV) after working out at the Quakes’ facility on Thursday and Friday. The former German wünderkind arrived at San Francisco International Airport on Wednesday night from his home country, where he and his wife recently welcomed their first child.
The Quakes determined after Friday’s training that Werner will be available for selection in the 20-man gameday roster, which will be announced an hour before kickoff.
San Jose opened its season with a rousing 3-0 win over Sporting Kansas City last weekend, featuring a pair of goals from center back Daniel Munie.
Munie has high hopes for Werner with the Quakes.
“He’s a guy that has won a lot, and a guy that we can always lean on,” Munie told reporters after Thursday’s training session. “I think he’s going to help us. We’re here to help him, too. We want him to be comfortable and confident, and I know he’s going to have confidence himself.”
Werner, a Designated Player, was the big signing for the Quakes in an offseason that saw them lose a trio of star forwards in captain Cristian Espinoza (to Nashville in free agency), Josef Martinez (to Tijuana of Liga MX) and Chicho Arango (on loan to Atlético Nacional of Colombia).
The Quakes acquired the 29-year-old forward last month, sending $50,000 in general allocation money to Red Bull New York for his discovery rights. Werner has 153 goals and 86 assists in 449 professional appearances, mostly in Germany’s Bundesliga for VfB Stuttgart and RB Leipzig. He also had stints with Chelsea and Tottenham in the English Premier League.
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