Why fit-again Victor Boniface was left out of Bayer Leverkusen’s first game of 2025

The much-anticipated return of Victor Boniface to Bayer Leverkusen’s lineup has been delayed, Soccernet.football reports.

Boniface was left out of Bayer Leverkusen’s friendly against Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, the Bundesliga champions’ first game of the new year.
The club announced this shortly before kick-off on Sunday as per reports from Germany, citing a minor setback in his rehabilitation from a torn thigh muscle.

The Nigerian striker has been sidelined since November 18, when he suffered the injury during Nigeria’s 2-1 loss to Rwanda in their final Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

He resumed training in late December but was also absent from Leverkusen’s final game of 2024, a 5-1 demolition of Freiburg on December 21.

Boniface was expected to gain valuable match practice in the friendly at Stadion Niederrhein on Sunday, January 5. However, he was omitted from the squad after experiencing a slight setback in his recovery.

The club’s statement leaves uncertainty over whether Boniface will be available for Leverkusen’s first competitive match of 2025—a blockbuster clash against Borussia Dortmund on January 10.

In his absence, Artem Stepanov started as the centre-forward in the friendly, with Patrik Schick expected to feature later in the game.

Before his injury, the 24-year-old had been in scintillating form, recording eight goals and one assist in 15 appearances across all competitions for the German champions.

Leverkusen fans will be eager to see their talisman back in action as they push to defend their Bundesliga title.