
Julian Baumgartlinger, Aleksandar Dragovic and Tin Jedvaj were back in their black and red training kit yesterday– the trio completed a session in the weights room. Today they were back on the training ground – together with the three Germany players Julian Brandt, Kai Havertz and Jonathan Tah. In cool temperatures, the session lasted 90 minutes with a range of drills at the tail end of the run-in to this week's home game.
Isaac Kiese Thelin and Paulinho are expected to return tomorrow for the final pre-match training session. Both were involved in internationals on Tuesday. At the end of the Nations League group stage, Kiese Thelin’s Sweden knocked Russia off top spot in Group B2 to secure promotion to the A Group - thanks to a 2-0 win in a meeting of the two teams. The Werkself number 11 came off the bench for the final 20 minutes; the second goal for the 'Tre Konor' was scored shortly after he came on. Paulinho played the first half for the Brazil U20s in the second friendly against Colombia in five days (2-2).
The third international missing on Wednesday was Jakub Bednarczyk. The Poland U20 international had to go off half an hour into Monday's game against Ukraine due to a thigh muscle problem. The 19-year-old will undergo a through examination by the medical section in Leverkusen.

Season tickets for the Werkself home matches in the new Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga season are now on general sale. The season ticket is valid for all 13 matches at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The first home match will be played between 28 and 31 August against the runners-up, VfL Wolfsburg, followed by the clash with the German champions, Bayern Munich, between 11 and 14 September.
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A new team, a new environment, a new challenge—and yet one thing remains the same for Afonso Moreira: his attitude. Total dedication, discipline, and the drive to improve every day have defined the Portuguese player since his early days at Sporting CP. “Even back then, I realized I had to work hard to achieve my goals,” said the 21-year-old. His parents also instilled those values in him from a young age. Values that have driven him ever since, accompanied him to France when he signed for Lyon, and now also form the foundation for his new chapter at Bayer 04. At a media session, the lightning-fast winger spoke about his values, as well as his new teammates, the new coach, and his targets at the club.
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Former Bundesliga and Germany keeper Manfred Manglitz, who was promoted to the Oberliga West with Bayer 04 in 1962, passed away on Monday at the age of 86.
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Justine Brandau and Lobke Loonen joined the Bayer 04 Women’s squad in quick succession this summer. The two Dutch players have been friends since their youth days, and are now playing for the same club for the first time. In an interview at the training camp in Rieden, Brandau and Loonen talk, amongst other things, about their experiences as opponents in the Vrouwen Eredivisie, the dynamic within their new team and their first few weeks in Leverkusen.
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