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.
Decision made: Germany will submit a bid to the IOC (International Olympic Committee) to host the 2036, 2040 or 2044 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Munich. The representatives of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) voted for Munich over Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr at their extraordinary meeting in Baden-Baden on Saturday 26 September. Berlin had already withdrawn from the vote a few days earlier.
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Former Werkself star Michael Ballack, who won the German Footballer of the Year award in 2002 while playing in Leverkusen, celebrates his 50th birthday on Saturday. Bayer 04 sends him its best wishes!
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A challenging start to what will hopefully be a long journey: The Bayer 04 women’s team kick off their new DFB Pokal campaign on Sunday (14:00 CEST) against second-division leaders FC Viktoria Berlin. Coach Roberto Pätzold expects stiff resistance in the capital – and is counting on his team’s strong away form in the Bundesliga so far this term.
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Attention Werkself fans: In addition to tickets for the floodlit home match against Werder Bremen, tickets are now also available for the Bayer 04 women’s team’s two subsequent fixtures against Eintracht Frankfurt and Hamburger SV at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. Both matches in the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga will take place at family-friendly kick-off times on Saturday afternoons. Here is the latest information on matchday ticket sales.
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Guéla Doué’s first 30 minutes in a Bayer 04 shirt during the draw away at Augsburg have definitely made the summer signing eager for more. The 23-year-old may have had to bide his time following his move from Strasbourg due to a muscular injury, but he’s been able to get a good taste of the BayArena atmosphere while watching from the stands in the home wins over Celje and RB Leipzig, as the Ivory Coast international explained in a chat with media representatives. “The fans’ enthusiasm and passion are incredible,” said Doué, looking forward to what lies ahead. The defender also spoke about his plans for a comeback, his teammates and his younger brother Désiré.
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