By Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Guardian Nigeria
Published on 2024-01-21 13:33:12
Bayer Leverkusen, the leaders of the Bundesliga, revealed on Saturday that midfielder Exequiel Palacios would be out “for the time being” due to injury. However, wing-back Jeremie Frimpong has been given the all-clear.
Palacios, a World Cup winner, sustained a thigh injury during Saturday’s 3-2 victory against RB Leipzig. Although the club did not specify the length of his absence, an MRI on Sunday confirmed the injury and the 25-year-old will have to watch from the sidelines for the time being. This comes as a blow for coach Xabi Alonso’s team, as Palacios has been a key player in their lineup, appearing in all but one of their league matches this season and being the preferred penalty taker.
On top of Palacios’ injury, several other first-team players are unavailable. Edmond Tapsoba, Odilon Kossounou, and Amine Adli are away at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Victor Boniface is out until April with a groin injury. Despite these setbacks, Frimpong, who was substituted in the first half due to a leg complaint, has been given the green light to resume training after it was confirmed that he did not suffer a structural injury.
Currently unbeaten in 27 games across all competitions this season, Bayer Leverkusen holds a seven-point lead over second-placed Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. Despite Bayern having two games in hand, they are looking to close the gap as they host Werder Bremen on Sunday afternoon in Munich. Leverkusen will be eager to maintain their lead as they navigate through the challenges posed by the absence of several key players due to injuries and international duty.
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