FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Bundesliga - Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen - Weserstadion, Bremen, Germany - October 26, 2024 Bayer Leverkusen's Victor Boniface reacts with coach Xabi Alonso after being substituted REUTERS/Cathrin Mueller/File Photo
BERLIN (Reuters) - Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface will be sidelined for some time with a thigh muscle injury following his return from international duty with Nigeria, coach Xabi Alonso said on Friday.
The injury means that the 23-year-old, who has netted six times in the league for the Bundesliga champions this season, will miss at least Saturday's league game against visitors Heidenheim and their Champions League match against RB Salzburg on Tuesday.
"We will have to see how long he will be out. It is a shame," Alonso told a press conference. "He has a thigh injury. For tomorrow, for Salzburg and maybe a bit longer. We will have to wait and see."
Asked whether it was a matter of a few days or a couple of weeks or whether he would miss the rest of the year, Alonso said he hoped the powerful forward would be back before the winter break starts in late December.
"It is too early to say but we hope he can still play this year. We have to see with the recovery and improvement but it is not a matter of six or eight weeks," Alonso said.
Leverkusen, winners of the domestic double last season, have struggled in the past weeks and have managed just one win in their last six league games and have drawn their last three matches.
They are in fourth place on 17 points, already nine behind leaders Bayern Munich, and are going into a busy four-week period with a total of eight matches, including their German Cup clash against Bayern on Dec. 3.
"Eight games in four weeks. It is nothing new for us," Alonso said. "An intense phase is coming up for us and it starts tomorrow. We have clear goals for the Bundesliga, the Champions League and the German Cup."
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Toby Davis)
