Illness forces postponement of Werder Bremen-Hoffenheim women's match

Werder Bremen's women's Bundesliga match against Hoffenheim was postponed on Sunday, about two hours before kickoff.

A wave of illness left the Bremen team without enough available players to take the field.

League rules allow a match to be called off when a team cannot provide the required number of eligible players, including a goalkeeper.

Werder's reserve team could not fill the gap because some players were ill and others were not eligible for the Bundesliga.

The club said it had informed the German Football Association and Hoffenheim as the situation developed, and both understood the decision.

The health of the players took priority over going ahead with the match.

A new date has not yet been set; Werder are next scheduled to play Freiburg on Sunday, and hope more players will have recovered.