
It was frosty and cold on Thursday morning when Heiko Herrlich held the last open training session ahead of Sunday's match against Schalke 04 (25 February, 15.30 CET). Cheering warmth for Bayer 04 not only came from the decent sunshine but also the physical condition of two key players: Wendell was back on the pitch with his team-mates and is in with a chance of being available for the game against the Royal Blues. However, as the Brazilian is not completely free of pain, medical treatment resumed after the training session.
While Wendell and Co. prepare for the next challenge in the league campaign, skipper Lars Bender is working hard on making his comeback from a muscle injury. Together with fitness coach Daniel Jouvin, he worked in a one-to-one session with the ball in the neighbouring Ulrich Haberland Stadium for an hour. The 28-year-old will return to the squad in the next few days but the game on Sunday comes too early for the captain.
The same applies to Jonthan Tah. The central defender is still struggling with a bout of flu. He was able to do some light work in the Performance Center on Thursday but coach Heiko Herrlich is not banking on naming the Werkself number four on the team sheet against Schalke.


The men's clothing retailer LERROS will remain the official fashion and premium partner of Bayer 04 for the current season. As in the past, LERROS will provide the club's men's team, coaching staff and management with high-quality clothing for international trips.
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“Diaby! Diaby! Diaby!” was the cry around the BayArena as the Werkself danced in front of the north stand following their 4-0 win over Union Berlin. Captain Edmond Tapsoba gave his new (and old) teammate a friendly shove forward to take in the acclaim from the fans. The returning Frenchman was typically reserved in thanking the supporters but was clearly emotional about what was happening.
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Bayer 04 produced a dominant and impressive 4-0 win over Union Berlin as they picked up three points in their first home game of the 2026/27 Bundesliga campaign. Exequiel Fernández opened the scoring after only 41 seconds, with Facundo Medina doubling the lead before the half-hour mark. Patrik Schick and Ibrahim Maza continued the procession in the second period, in which Moussa Diaby came on for his first Leverkusen appearance for over three years.
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The Bundesliga is back at the BayArena this Saturday as Bayer 04 play their first home game of the 2026/27 campaign against Union Berlin (15:30 CEST). Moussa Diaby could make his second debut for the Werkself following his return to Leverkusen – and it would be an ideal fixture for the Frenchman. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the encounter in our matchday news.
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