There was a change of personnel at the hosts at the start of the season: The club management at Mainz opted to change coaches after the second Bundesliga matchday. Achim Beierlorzer had to go after two defeats in the opening games and assistant coach Jan-Moritz Lichte took over the helm at Mainz 05. The former Werkself assistant coach under Sascha Lewandowski and Sami Hyypiä is looking to get the team back to winning ways – his opposite number Bosz obviously has something to say about that. Mainz have a lot of quality in their squad. It’s down to us to see that it takes another week before that is evident on the pitch,” the Dutchman declared.
In addition to Paulinho, who continues his rehab training following his torn cruciate, Bosz will have to manage without other players following the international break: Summer signing Santiago Arias suffered a broken leg and complex ligament damage to his ankle in a World Cup qualifier with Colombia and is set to be out of action for around six months.
The 56-year-old will also be without the services of Patrik Schick, who is struggling with a muscle injury. With Florian Wirtz, who was substituted in the middle of the first half of the Euro qualifier for the Germany U21s against Bosnia-Herzegovina, there is no evidence of a structural injury to his stomach muscles. The 17-year-old is already on the road to recovery. “But he probably won’t be available for us against Mainz,” said Bosz
In addition, Tin Jedvaj will also most probably have to miss out. The defender was not in the squad for Croatia’s 2-1 defeat against France on Wednesday night due to illness. The results of a coronavirus test proved to be negative and Jedvaj is now feeling better again.
In accordance with the regulations, the players returning from international duty undertook coronavirus tests at the BayArena on Thursday morning. Another round of tests will be performed on Friday morning. If the results are negative then the players can then take part in training and join the Bayer 04 group to travel to Mainz to hopefully play on Saturday and help secure the sixth Bundesliga win in succession against Mainz 05.
Match information:
Broadcasters: Sky and Werks11 Radio (bayer04.de)
Referee: The match officials will be announced on the day the game
Attendance: 250
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have secured a new premium partner in the form of DRIVIO. DRIVIO, already part of the club’s partner portfolio as a reliable car subscription partner for Bayer 04, will continue to support the club in this capacity and, with immediate effect, also join the premium group of companies that cooperate closely with the Werkself. The premium and car subscription partnership between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and DRIVIO will initially run until 30 June 2027.
Show more
Following last weekend’s big game against Wolfsburg, Bayer 04 Women face another exciting challenge as they visit Hoffenheim to kick off Matchday 3 in the Google Pixel Bundesliga on Friday (kick-off: 18:30 CEST).
Show more
Under the slogan ‘Holidays without War’, 60 children from war-torn Ukraine took part in the summer camp organised by the German-Ukrainian association Blau-Gelbes Kreuz in Leverkusen and the surrounding area in August. The children aged between 10 and 14 – many of whom have lost their parents in the war – come from the Ukrainian twin towns of Leverkusen, Cologne and Monheim am Rhein: Nikopol, Dnipro and Volodymyr. Bayer 04, Bayer AG and TSV Bayer 04 supported the camp to mark its 10th anniversary, enabling even more children and young people than in previous years to spend a few carefree days’ holiday away from the war in the Rhineland.
Show more
Midfielder Ruby Grant is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and joining Portuguese runners-up Sporting CP a year before her contract expires. The 24-year-old has been at the Werkself since January 2025.
Show more
New to Leverkusen and straight up onto the roof at the BayArena: Guéla Doué has arrived. In an interview with Werkself TV, the new right-back talks about his previous links with Bayer 04 and how much he’s looking forward to his first home match. Have a look!
Show more
