Following the debrief after the Bayern Munich game Tin Jedvaj, Aleksandar Dragovic and Co. headed for the training ground at the BayArena in temperatures of around 30 degrees. 17 outfield players and four goalkeepers were available at the start of the week as was the Europa League match ball the Werkself will be playing with for the first time this season.
The coaching staff organised football tennis matches and shooting practice to familiarize the players with the new white and orange ball. The players who completed the full 90 minutes against Bayern ended the training session half an hour earlier.
In addition to the four injured players Julian Baumgartlinger, Joel Pojanpalo, Panos Retsos (all in rehab) and Charles Aranguiz (knee), Lars Bender also missed the training session. The Werkself skipper was kicked on the calf in the fourth minute of the match against the champions of Germany and he had to go off 20 minutes later. "Lars is still injured. It's possible he may not be fit for Thursday," said Herrlich after the training session.
The Werkself train in Leverkusen again on Tuesday (closed session) and will have the final pre-match workout at the Ludogorets Arena on Wednesday.
Strengthening the Bayer 04 Leverkusen youth teams: Konstantinos Kotsifakis will join the Werkself from Bundesliga 2 club Hertha Berlin for the 2026/27 season, where he will be a permanent member of the Leverkusen U19 coaching set-up. The German-Greek will also take on an operational role in coaching the Bayer 04 Future Team. The 29-year-old was most recently head coach of the U17s at Hertha Berlin.
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Another award for the Bayer 04 head groundsman and staff: After coming top in the 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2024/25 seasons, the BayArena pitch came second in the Bundesliga Pitch of the Year ranking for the 2025/26 season. VfL Wolfsburg secured the top spot this year, with TSG Hoffenheim in third place.
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Opening opponents, derby weekends, the opponents in the season finale: This information and more will be available to Bayer 04 fans on Thursday, 2 July, when the 2026/27 Bundesliga fixture list is published.
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The next footballing highlight is just around the corner: the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 23rd edition of the tournament, will be held in the USA, Canada and Mexico and feature 48 teams for the first time. Bayer04.de has all the latest on the Werkself players called up to represent their countries.
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While the majority of the Bayer 04 Women are enjoying their summer break, nine Werkself players will be on duty for their national teams in the coming days. Three of them are competing for a place at the World Cup, while six are involved in two friendlies with the Germany U23 team.
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