Patrik Schick is back in team training ahead of the game against Inter tomorrow while Niklas Lomb is not practicing today for unknown reasons.

[BILD]

However, it is also undisputed that there are still a few steps to go before he reaches that goal. Kovar must have taken these steps by the end of the season if he wants to retain the chance to permanently improve his status in Leverkusen.

[kicker]

3/3

If Kovar had already failed the internal casting as Hradecky's successor, Xabi Alonso would not have given him a match like the one in the Allianz Arena as a test. Kovar's training to become the new number one is still in full swing.

2/3

Matej Kovar's surprising appearance in the Starting XI against Bayern on Tuesday shows that the Czech, contrary to speculation in the media, still has a real chance of securing his status as a true number one at Bayer Leverkusen in the future.

1/3

Florian Wirtz: "Pepsi and Gatorade have an impressive tradition of working with the biggest names in world football. I look forward to working with the two brands to bring even more joy to football fans around the world and inspire young talents to realize their dreams."

[BILD]

3/3

The bonus payments depend, among other things, on his social media posts with the products. Other than that, he only has to be available for three filming and photo shoots.

2/3

Florian Wirtz will be the new face of Champions League sponsor Pepsi. He has signed a 2-year deal that starts in January 2025. He will appear on cans and labels, including on the products of the sports drink Gatorade. Wirtz will receive €1m-1.5m from Pepsi during this time.

1/3

Florian Wirtz is expected to make a decision on his future in spring.

[BILD]

kicker predicted line-up for Saturday's game against St. Pauli:

Kovar - Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapié - Frimpong, Palacios, Garcia, Xhaka, Grimaldo - Schick, Wirtz

Bench: Hradecky, Lomb, Arthur, Belocian, Mukiele, Andrich, Onyeka, Stepanov, Tella, Terrier

Out:
❌ Hofmann
❌ Adli
❌ Boniface

Victor Boniface is not expected to return until December 21 against SC Freiburg at the earliest.

[kicker]

Should Patrik Schick not get fit in time for the game against St. Pauli on Saturday, he'll most likely be replaced by either Nathan Tella or Martin Terrier in the starting eleven.

[kicker]

and then we'll win a lot of games. We'll see whether we can then reduce the gap. That's not just up to us. It's up to us to show that winning mentality, that bite, that hunger for success - week in, week out or every three days."

[BILD]

2/2

Simon Rolfes on whether he has already written off the Bundesliga title: "No, I'm not writing anything off, because you can never write anything off in football. Of course we have a [7] point gap, but the season is still long. It's important for us to get into this rhythm to show our quality

1/2

According to the club, Patrik Schick had muscle stiffness in his calf during the game yesterday, which is why he was subbed off. The calf problems stem from a kick he took during Union game. Whether he'll be availabe against St. Pauli is currently questionable.

[X/@BILD_Bayer04]

Alejo Sarco will sign a 4-year deal at Bayer Leverkusen.

[X/@urieliugt]

Following the signing of Alejo Sarco, Bayer Leverkusen could also bring in new players in other positions in January instead of doing that business next summer. Lyon's Rayan Cherki is one of the candidates. He'd cost around €10m-15m, which is roughly the club's budget this winter.

[SPORTBILD]

The signing will most likely not be made official earlier than in January.

[SPORTBILD]

Alejo Sarco will join Bayer Leverkusen on a free transfer from Vélez Sarsfield in January. Even though the 18-year-old is still eligible to play for the U19, he's supposed to be a part of the first team and give Xabi Alonso a third option at striker.

[SPORTBILD]

It is not yet clear whether Patrik Schick has suffered a serious injury or not, but the club has not ruled out that he'll be able to play against St. Pauli on Saturday yet.

[kicker]

to the workload he has had to endure recently and should be treated carefully looking at his injury history. In contrast, other key players like Exequiel Palacios and Florian Wirtz were rested for most of the game against Union Berlin last Saturday and are expected to start tonight.

[kicker]

2/2

Despite his good form, it is not unlikely that Patrik Schick will be on the bench against Bayern today. This is because Xabi Alonso has preferred to play without a true striker against top-clubs multiple times in the past, but also due to the fact that the Czech is just not used

1/2

Xabi Alonso: "We have hope. Boni is on the right track. We have to check every two or three days to see how he's recovering. But it's still too early to say whether he'll be back before Christmas."

[BILD]

2/2

Victor Boniface is currently training individually and not yet with the ball. Still, it is not completely ruled out that the Nigerian will make his comeback this year.

1/2

Enzo Millot's €20m release clause, which is really cheap in the eyes of many European clubs, is not active until the summer of 2025. Therefore, it might make some sense, if his departure is inevitable, for him to leave in January.

[TheAthletic]

Florian Wirtz will most likely not join Bayern next summer. Given the strength of his relationship with Xabi Alonso and how good his form has been under him, the smart money might be on them taking their next steps together.

[TheAthletic]

Frimpong's contract includes a release clause of less than €40m and it will take this sort of fee to sign him. There is strong interest from the Premier League and also clubs from other countries, but whether or not they go for him also depends on players leaving those clubs.

[TheAthletic]

Bayer Leverkusen have no intention of selling Jeremie Frimpong in January - it would take an offer too good to refuse for that to change. When the Dutchman eventually leaves, Leverkusen will not sign a replacement as Arthur is already at the club.

1/2

It would probably take a fee of €50m to sign him, but if it becomes clear in the months ahead that this is unlikely to materialise, Hincapié could end up signing a new deal at Leverkusen.

[David Ornstein, The Athletic]

3/3

But the Ecuadorian remains high on the lists at many of Europe's leading clubs and with the coach potentially leaving at the end of the season, there is a strong possibility he could also go. That is unlikely to happen in January but the 22y/o would be open to departing during the next window.

2/3

Bayer Leverkusen are keen to extend Piero Hincapié's contract. The club already turned down approaches for him last summer because Xabi Alonso wanted to keep him.

1/3,