At the pre-match press conference, the Covid-19 infection of Edmond Tapsoba was also under discussion. “It’s hit us now...,” said a somewhat deflated Bosz. “The doc called me last night. Edmond was surprised by the result of the test. But he feels alright so far.” The relevant local health authority will determine how long the 21-year-old will have to spend in self-isolation. “If he remains free of symptoms then he might be able to keep fit at home. Our fitness coaches are discussing it with him,” Bosz added.
In addition to Tapsoba, the Werkself will again have to manage without long-term absentees Paulinho, Santiago Arias and Exequiel Palacios, who suffered a serious back injury playing for Argentina, for the game against Bielefeld. And the skipper Charles Aránguiz is also unavailable due to an Achilles problem and the Chilean is still currently training on his own. There is good news about Patrik Schick. The 24-year-old has been in full training all week. Subject to the final pre-match training session, Bosz is hoping Schick can return to the squad.
In spite of the coronavirus case and the long injury list: “We have to accept the situation as it is. Now we have to focus on Bielefeld and get a good result. Bielefeld are a good team. They started well in the league but then had problems. We’re obviously going there to win the game.” The coach would like to see his team play with same energy against Arminia as they did against Gladbach. “It won’t be easy against a more defensive team but we’ll have to find the right answers. How the game develops will mainly depend on us.”
It has been a few years since the last Bundesliga fixture between the Werkself and Arminia: That match in May 2009 in Leverkusen ended in a 2-2 draw. And a look at the stats reveals the newcomers have been tough opponents for the Werkself in the past. In the previous 28 Bundesliga meetings, Bayer 04 have won ten, drawn ten and lost eight times. The most recent results clearly favour the Werkself. While the Peter Bosz team (four wins, three draws) and VfL Wolfsburg are the only unbeaten sides in the current Bundesliga campaign , Bielefeld have lost all of their last five games. But Bosz believes: “They will have used the international break well. They will try to make life difficult for us.”
Match information:
Broadcasters: Sky, Werks11 Radio
Referee: Will be announced on the day of the game
A simple approach to sport with games, fun and a highlight at the end: Bayer 04 organised a very special training session for 40 participants aged between six and 27 in cooperation with the Football Association of the Middle Rhine (FVM). At the day of action for women and girls with disabilities at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre, many of the participants gained their first experience of football.
Show more
On Saturday, 28 March, the lights will go out again at the BayArena from 20:30 pm to 21:30. As in previous years, Bayer 04 once again take part in the WWF Earth Hour campaign under the motto "We're switching off" as the club wants to set a collective example for more climate and environmental protection together with people, cities and companies around the world.
Show more
Less than a year ago, Kerim Alajbegovic moved from the Bayer 04 U19s to Austrian top-flight club FC Red Bull Salzburg. The forward’s development since then has been impressive. In 36 matches, including in the UEFA Europa League, the 18-year-old has scored 14 goals. In the summer, Alajbegovic, now a Bosnia international, will return to Leverkusen - and thus not only achieve the next milestone still early in his career, but also enrich the Werkself squad with his footballing versatility and determination.
Show more
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with forward Nathan Tella ahead of schedule. The versatile 26-year-old, who can be deployed as a right winger, false nine or left winger, has penned a new contract to 30 June 2031. Tella joined the Werkself from Championship club Southampton in 2023. His previous contract ran to the summer of 2028.
Show more
Nathan Tella has extended his contract with Bayer 04 to 2031. In an interview with Werkself TV, the 26-year-old talks about fulfilling his dreams, his positive outlook on life and his goals for the future. He answers the questions in English - all except the last one, which he addresses directly to the fans...
Show more
