The 24-year-old Brazilian was on crutches rather than in his football boots at the BayArena as he missed the last open training session on Wednesday morning. Sven Bender (ankle) and keeper Bernd Leno (knee) were in a similar position after picking up knocks in the final game of matchday 29 in Leipzig two days ago. In contrast to Wendell, the duo were able to complete a session in the gym. The medical section said it is too early to say whether or not there is a possibility they will be ruled out for Saturday's home game (14 April, 15.30 CET). "I think the pair of them are tough and they'll be ready for Saturday. It's a bit easier to go beyond the pain barrier now as we're in the busy period of the run-in," said skipper Lars Bender shortly after the match in Leipzig hoping there would be no long-term injuries.
On the plus side, there was positive news on Wednesday for Joel Pohjanpalo who was able to put his boots on again following his ankle injury and return to the training ground just before the end of the team session – three days ahead of the clash with Eintracht Frankfurt he went through a light, half-hour routine on the ball with fitness coach Daniel Jouvin. The medical section said it was a matter of seeing the progress of the Finland striker over the course of the week.
The Werkself have another two training sessions planned this week with both being held behind closed doors.
Bayer 04 and Olympiacos had only met twice before the current UEFA Champions campaign. After the encounter on Matchday 7 of this season’s league phase, the Werkself travel to face the Greek side for the second time in just four weeks for the knockout play-off first leg. The Black and Reds were dominant for large spells in mid-January but lost 2-0 after missing a number of presentable chances. The Werkself aim to do better on Wednesday night to “seize the chance for revenge,” as managing director sport Simon Rolfes put it. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
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A bitter end to the fifth showdown of the 2025/26 VBL Club Championship as the #B04eSports team failed to take any points in the three remaining matches of the preliminary online round of the fifth and final showdown, missing out on the offline round. They can no longer take points in the overall table. Bayer 04 slipped out on the top eight, so direct participation in the final event for the German Club Championship is no longer possible, with Bayer 04 having to contest the play-offs.
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A rematch in Athens: On Wednesday, 18 February (kick-off: 21:00 CET), the Werkself face Greek double winners Olympiacos for the second time this season at the Karaiskakis Stadium. After the encounter in the league phase, it's now time for the first leg of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League play-offs. Ahead of the game, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about how his side will approach the clash, while captain Robert Andrich explained how the team will try to dampen the atmosphere in the stadium tomorrow.
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With the much-celebrated 2-1 derby win against 1. FC Köln, the Bayer 04 Women underlined their credentials as one of the top teams in the Bundesliga. Anyone wishing to support the Werkself in the stadium in the race for third place can now purchase tickets for the home match against FC Carl Zeiss Jena. Tickets are also still available for the upcoming clash against TSG Hoffenheim at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium on Sunday, 22 February. The latest information at a glance.
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Let's give it our all one more time! Today, Tuesday 17 February (live on the VBL Twitch channel from 18:00 CET), the #B04eSports team play the remaining three preliminary round matches of the fifth and final showdown of the VBL Club Championship 2025/26. The Leverkusen console pros go up against 1. FC Nürnberg, 1. FC Magdeburg and Bayern Munich, aiming to secure their place in the offline knockout round and pick up valuable points for the overall table and the battle to get into the final event for the German Club Championship. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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