Injuries Plague Bayer Leverkusen Ahead of PSG Clash

Leverkusen, Germany — Bayer Leverkusen faces a challenging match against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League due to multiple player injuries. The match is set for Tuesday at the BayArena.

Head coach Kasper Hjulmand confirmed that key players, including Axel Tape and Exequiel Palacios, are sidelined, alongside Malik Tillman, Nathan Tella, and Lucas Vázquez. The coach revealed this at a pre-match press conference, saying, “We have to adapt and work with the players available.”

Patrik Schick and Jarell Quansah, who also missed the team’s thrilling 4-3 victory over Mainz, participated in Monday’s final training session. “It looks better day by day, but nothing is certain yet,” Hjulmand commented on their status.

Jonas Hofmann and Martin Terrier, both of whom played crucial roles in the Mainz match, are not registered for Champions League play, further complicating the lineup.

In addition, Tillman will be out for about two weeks due to a thigh injury sustained during international duty with the United States. This injury means he will miss not just the PSG game but also upcoming matches against Freiburg, Paderborn, and potentially Bayern Munich on November 1.

Despite these setbacks, Leverkusen remains hopeful. They have not lost in their last seven matches since Hjulmand took over, recently climbing to fifth place in the Bundesliga following the exciting win against Mainz.

Meanwhile, PSG sits in a tight second place in Ligue 1 after drawing their last two league matches. However, they have excelled in Europe, winning their first two group-stage matches convincingly.

This clash marks the first time these teams have faced each other since 2013, when PSG eliminated Leverkusen in the Round of 16.