"The change of coaches at Werder Bremen has brought a new energy to the team and the club. It will be a tough task to beat this team after the international break," declared Bayer 04 head coach Roger Schmidt at the pre-match press conference in the media centre at the BayArena, as ever broadcast live at www.bayer04.de and on Facebook.
It remains to be seen whether the coach will have all his players available with the obvious exception of long-term injuries Karim Bellarabi, Vladlen Yurchenko and Joel Pohjanpalo. It appears Julian Baumgartlinger and Aleksandar Dragovic have recovered from knocks picked up playing for Austria. "Both were able to train normally without any major problems. I'm assuming they will be available for Saturday,"
The boss was unable to provide a final update on the trio of Wendell, Charles Aranguiz and Robbie Kruse but all the other internationals have returned to Leverkusen safe and sound. "Wendell, Charles and Robbie are only returning today or tomorrow so will wait to speak to them to see what condition they're in." Chicharito, who unusually was not picked by the Mexico coach this week, had the chance to use the time on rest and recovery as he finally gets over his broken hand.
"Chicharito is in good shape"
The striker has certainly been working hard in training after returning from injury. "Chicharito returned in positive mood and full of energy. He has – like the whole squad – completed a very intense week of training. We are in good shape," declared a pleased Roger Schmidt happy with his group in training. The head coach is also clear what he wants for Saturday night: "The home win against a top team like Borussia Dortmund ahead of the international break was important and now it’s equally important to carry on in Bremen and further solidify our position with an away win. With the experience gained in the last few games we'll give our all."
Kicking off the new season with a fresh look: Bayer 04, in collaboration with sportswear manufacturer New Balance, has unveiled the official kit for Leverkusen’s e-Sports players for the coming season. The jersey is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt.
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Paulo Sergio and Bayer 04 have enjoyed close ties since the Werkself training camp in his native Brazil last summer. The club legend is in charge of the Bayer 04 Soccer Academy, which opened in the summer of 2025, and he has also been at this year’s training camp in the Weimarer Land. As well as interacting with the many fans who travelled to the camp, the 1994 World Cup winner used the time to plan the next steps for the Academy together with club officials. In an interview with bayer04.de, Sergio spoke about the project’s future development, the upcoming visit by young Academy players to Leverkusen, and plans for the coming months in Germany and Brazil.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day four (Wednesday 5 August) is all about training. The day begins with a gruelling open training session – new signing Miguel Gutiérrez also takes part. A second session follows in the afternoon, this time behind closed doors.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed Spanish left-back Miguel Gutiérrez from Napoli. The 25-year-old has signed a contract with the club to 30 June 2031. Gutiérrez came through the youth ranks at Real Madrid; he moved to Italy a year ago from Girona, and he played a key role for Napoli with 36 appearances. The big Italian club finished last season as runners-up in Serie A.
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