Bayer Leverkusen Rule Eliesse Ben Seghir Out of Lech Poznan Clash With Muscle Injury

Bayer Leverkusen have been dealt a fresh injury blow ahead of Thursday's meeting with Lech Poznan, with sporting director Simon Rolfes confirming that attacker Eliesse Ben Seghir will miss the fixture after suffering a muscle problem.

Rolfes: "He will definitely be out this week"

Speaking to Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger on Tuesday afternoon, Rolfes moved quickly to shut down any hope of the Moroccan featuring against the Polish side, describing the setback as minor but enough to keep the player out for the coming days.

“Elias has a small muscle injury, nothing major. He will definitely be out this week,” Rolfes said.

“I don't know exactly when he can return. With muscle injuries, I'm always cautious. But he won't be with us this week.”

The absence comes as an added concern for the Rhineland club, with Ben Seghir also likely to miss next Sunday's Bundesliga clash with SC Freiburg. The precise length of his lay-off remains unclear, with Rolfes refusing to put a firm timeline on a return given the unpredictable nature of muscle injuries.

Mixed news on the training ground

Despite Ben Seghir's setback, Leverkusen received a broadly positive update on the rest of the squad. Aside from the continued absences of Christian Kofane, Guéla Doué and Kennet Eichhorn, all available players took part in today's squad training session.

There was also a welcome sight for the coaching staff as Montrell Culbreath returned to the pitch. However, Rolfes confirmed it remains a little too early for the young defender to be considered for action in Poznan.

The news leaves Leverkusen managing both squad depth and recovery timelines before a busy run of fixtures, with Ben Seghir's absence adding to the list of players currently unavailable to the club.