Due to the severity of the injury, an operation is required following the immediate treatment in Columbia. This will be performed by a specialist in Madrid by agreement with Bayer 04, Arias and Atlético. The 28-year-old Arias is expected to fly from Colombia to Spain in the middle of next week.
“This serious injury hits us hard and affects everybody. Santiago is a great character and has joined us with great ambition and it’s a bitter blow for him,” declared sporting director Simon Rolfes. “Like Atlético Madrid, we will do everything we can to support Santiago in his recovery. After the operation and his return to Leverkusen, he will be looked after by us during his rehab. Our medical section and the whole club are behind him so that he can return fully fit as soon as possible.”
“I can’t describe how I feel. I’d be lying if I said I’m doing alright but I don’t want to maintain the opposite. I’m sad about the situation,” Arias said on Instagram on Saturday. “This is another test to overcome and it will make me stronger. I promise to work hard to get back quickly and stronger and be able to wear the colours of Colombia and my club Bayer 04 Leverkusen again.”
The Champions League journey continues! On the eighth and final matchday of the league phase of the UEFA Champions League 2025/26, Bayer 04 secured their place in the play-offs with a commanding 3-0 win over Villarreal. Malik Tillman put in a mature and combative performance for Leverkusen, scoring a brace (12', 35') to make it 2-0 at the break, while Alejandro Grimaldo (57') and plenty of control of the game did the rest in the second half. The draw for the Werkself's next UCL opponents will take place on Friday 30 January at 12:00 CET.
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The Leverkusen eSports team played the remaining three of the six matches in the online preliminary round of the fourth showdown in the VBL Club Championship 2025/26. RB Leipzig and SC Freiburg were among the teams with the highest goal threat, including two World Cup participants in their ranks. Although the #B04eSports players were defeated in the matches overall, nine points from the first three games last week were enough for Leverkusen to advance to the offline round in Berlin on 2 February.
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A decisive showdown awaits: The Werkself are aiming to progress to the play-off round of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League with a home win against Villarreal CF on the eighth and final matchday of the league phase. Ahead of the match on Wednesday, 28 January (kick-off: 21:00 CET), coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about the importance of the game, the possible return of Edmond Tapsoba and a statement from new signing Jonas Omlin in an exclusive interview with Werkself TV. Lucas Vázquez, for his part, spoke about his role on and off the pitch as well as tomorrow’s opponents, who he often faced in Spain with Real Madrid.
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For Villarreal CF, the match at Bayer 04 on Wednesday, 28 January (kick-off: 21:00 CET), will be their last appearance on the European stage this season. The Spanish side, currently fourth in La Liga, are still without a win in the UEFA Champions League and, with just one point from their seven games so far, have no chance of making the play-offs. The 2021 Europa League winners can therefore play without any pressure at the BayArena and will be looking to bow out of the competition with a good performance. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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