19 Werkself pros were available to Heiko Herrlich in the first session on Friday morning but the boss was till without absentees Lukas Hradecky, Charles Aránguiz, Panos Retsos, Joel Pohjanpalo, Dominik Kohr, and the two World Cup participants Julian Brandt and Tin Jedvaj. The head coach brought in three U19 players to boost the numbers: Ayman Azhil, Jan Boller and Adrian Stanilewicz had the chance to train with the first team.
Over-punctual - ten minutes ahead of the set time - the first players went onto the training ground, including birthday boy Wendell, who was serenaded by his team-mates on his 25th birthday. The Brazilian was accompanied by fellow countryman new signing Paulinho, who joined the first team squad for the first time on the training ground. After the warm-up routine, he went onto a neighbouring pitch to carry on working on his own. "We can't forget that Paulinho broke his arm in March and hasn't touched a ball in training since then. We don't want to take any risks and we''ll introduce him step by step," said Heiko Herrlich after the session. The 18-year-old will not feature in tomorrow's friendly at Siegen: "He is due to train with the team in a week's time and only then can we thinking about playing him."
While Leon Bailey, Karim Bellarabi and Co. focused on working with the ball, passing drills and moves, their team-mate Dominik Kohr was not available but Herrlich is expecting him to return. Last Tuesday, the 24-year-old slightly twisted his knee. "His knee was sore so we rested him yesterday and the day before. Dominik had treatment again today and it's all looking good," said Herrlich. "We're very optimistic he will be able to play for a half against Siegen."
The Werkself coach also offered a prognosis on Charles Aránguiz (rehab after knee problems): "We've increased the therapy to eradicate the pain. That means he cannot be subjected to too much work at the moment. He should be able to join in at the training camp next week."
Bayer 04 will have to manage without attacking midfielder Martin Terrier for the time being. The Frenchman sustained a muscle injury to his left hamstring yesterday, Thursday 15 October, during the Europa League game against Polish champions Lech Poznan (4–0). Terrier is not expected to be available until late December.
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Following the international break, the Bayer 04 women’s team face their next head-to-head clash in the race for a top spot in the Bundesliga. In Saturday’s home match (14:00 CEST), the fourth-placed side host third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. Head coach Roberto Pätzold is well aware of the great opportunity this presents for his team.
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Keep the momentum going against the current league leaders: On Sunday, 18 October (kick-off: 15:30 CEST), the Werkself – unbeaten in their last six matches – host SC Freiburg at the BayArena. For their part, Freiburg have yet to lose a single game this season. Ahead of the clash with SCF, head coach Carles Martínez spoke about the team spirit within his squad and the strengths of the upcoming opponents. The Spaniard also commented on Martin Terrier and the attacking options available in the squad.
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Malik Tillman described Leverkusen’s first European competition game in Poland in more than three decades as a “successful trip”. On matchday 2 in the group stage of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League, the Werkself secured a commanding 4–0 victory away at champions Lech Poznan, a result that brought a number of positives. This fourth win in a row should also provide further momentum for the upcoming home fixture. The Werkself review of the Europa League night in Poland.
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