"It was purely a preventative measure as Karim received a knock to his pelvis in the game. We wanted to see how he would get on after two days off," said the Swiss coach.
Bellarabi made it 2-0 for the Werkself on Saturday – that was his 57th goal for the Black and Reds. That puts the winger eighth in the all-time list of goalscorers for Bayer 04. The 31-year-old has been under the Bayer Cross since 2011 – with the exception of a loan spell at Eintracht Braunschweig in 2013/14.
"Karim brings a lot of energy to the team," Seoane made clear to the media after the Tuesday afternoon training session. In addition to his physicality and dynamism on the pitch, "he above all helps the team with his experience. He plays efficiently, and finds the right space as with his goal at the weekend." The Werkself number 38 has played an important role in recent years and influences the team with his positive approach.
According to the 43-year-old coach, Bellarabi's qualities will be of great importance in the coming weeks if the Werkself are to be in the running to qualify for the Champions League in the Bundesliga run-in: "Karim has already played for us in the champions league and it was in the DFB Cup semi-final. So, he knows how to deal with the club's ambitions. That helps us."
After the first win of the season against 1. FC Union Berlin (4-0) last weekend, the Werkself are aiming to collect another three points at FC Augsburg on Saturday 12 September (kick-off 15:30 CEST). The hosts, meanwhile, are enjoying their best-ever start to a Bundesliga campaign and go into Matchday 3 top of the table for the first time. The Matchday News.
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The Werkself are away to FC Augsburg on matchday 3 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season. The game at the WWK Arena against the current – and for the first time – league leaders of the German top flight is on Saturday 12 September at 15:30 CEST. Ahead of the match, head coach Carles Martínez spoke about this week’s training and the team’s approach to the fixture, as they face an opponent brimming with confidence. The Spaniard also addressed a number of squad matters.
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FC Augsburg are top of the table for the first time in their Bundesliga history. After two wins for starters, FCA lead the German top-flight with six points and a goal difference of 7 to 1. This Saturday, 12 September (kick-off: 15:30 CEST), Augsburg are looking to build on their strong start to the season against the Werkself. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Following the closure of the 2026 summer transfer window, the Bayer 04 men's and women's first teams lined up for a first-ever joint photo at the BayArena. Werkself fans can now download the official photos for free.
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Bayer 04 Women will be without captain Carolin Simon and striker Valentina Mädl over the coming weeks. Both players missed last Friday's 2-1 Bundesliga win at TSG Hoffenheim because of muscle injuries.
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