Ever-present Volland

Sven Bender completed an individual session with fitness coach Daniels Jouvin. The central defender is expected to return to full training towards the end of the week. Leon Bailey, who is suspended for the next two Bundesliga games after being sent off in Cologne, missed the last drill of the day due to slight muscular problems that appeared during the session. Charles Aránguiz is currently in rehab training.

The winger Paulinho, is making slow but sure progress with the Brazil U23s: The 19-year-old is currently involved in a qualification tournament for participation in the Olympic Games in Tokyo. The first opponents for Brazil are the Peru U23s on Monday 20 January (kick-off: 02.30 CET). Paulinho and Co. also face the U23 teams from Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia in the group stage. Only the top two teams have the chance of taking one of the two Olympic slots for South American countries.

Volland on Paderborn

For the rest of the Werkself players, today's training session marked the start of preparations for the first game of the second half of the season away to SC Paderborn (Sunday, 19 January at 18.00 CET). "They've got incredible pace, above all in transition," striker Kevin Volland said in sounding a warning about the next opponents but he also stressed: "We want to make a good start to the second half of the season and produce a convincing performance." With a start or an appearance from the bench in Eastern Westphalia, the 27-year-old would continue a notable run.

Great run

Volland has played in every Bundesliga game for Bayer 04 since matchday 34 in 2017/18 – on 12 May 2018. That makes a total of 51 games in succession. The man from Marktoberdorf was forced to miss the game against Hannover 96 due to a one-match ban and the last game before that (in the derby at FC Köln on 18 March 2018) was missed by the striker due to the birth of his daughter. "I'm delighted that I'm so fit. In addition to that, I'm the sort of person who can grit his teeth when it hurts," explain Volland who, with the exception of two lay-offs due to a broken finger and a torn muscle in his first season at Leverkusen (2016/17), has avoided long-term injuries during the season up to now.

Europa League tickets for members

Tickets for the Werkself home game against FC Porto in the Europa League (20 February, kick-off 21.00 CET) went on sale exclusively to Bayer 04 Club members this morning. Open sale begins on 16 January (10.00 CET).

Happy birthday!

Former Bayer 04 CEO Wolfgang Holzhäuser celebrated his 70th birthday on Monday. The man from South Hessen was the successor to Rainer Calmund as the managing director and spokesperson for the Bayer 04 board. In addition, Holzhäuser was also on the shareholders committee of the of the football club up to 2017.

Today, 14 January, also marks another special birthday: Dietmar Demuth, the first Bundesliga goalscorer for the Black and Reds exactly 14,766 days ago, celebrates his 65th birthday. Bayer 04 wishes all three happy birthday.