Victor Boniface returns to the Leverkusen squad for the Champions League game at Atletico Madrid. Coach Xabi Alonso made the surprising announcement on the eve of the game. After only one team training session, the question arises as to whether the center forward is really a serious candidate to be a substitute.
Before big games, it’s a popular game for coaches to keep their opponents in the dark and to pose a few riddles – including those regarding personnel. They like to leave open the question of whether an injured professional can play, even though their ability to play or their absence has long been established internally. It’s a bit of a cat-and-mouse game.
And after Xabi Alonso announced on Monday evening at the Estadio Metropolitano that Victor Boniface, who injured his thigh in mid-November and has not played since, would be in the squad for Tuesday’s Champions League game at Atletico Madrid, the question arises as to whether this really represents more than a tactical move.
Xabi Alonso’s statement is in contradiction to Thomas Eichin’s statement. On Monday afternoon, before the final training session, the director of licensing at Bayer 04 initially stated that the game in Madrid would come too soon for Boniface. “He’s back in training, but he’s not an option for Tuesday evening,” Eichin said.
The fact that Xabi Alonso now said that he sees Boniface ready for a substitute appearance was not the only reason for the surprise. After all, the Nigerian international, who suffered a setback at the beginning of the year, had not yet been able to complete a team training session last week.
Boniface did not complete a full training session with the team until Monday before flying out to Madrid, explained Xabi Alonso, “so he’s available to play. Not in the starting lineup, of course, but if we need him in the second half – and we are planning on doing so – then he’ll be on the bench. We’ll decide then.”
A Champions League game appearance after just one full training session after a two-month layoff? It would be a risk – and not a small one. Now, to accept a setback for a few minutes that would hit Bayer hard in the intense second half of the season with many back-to-back matches.
Xabi Alonso put a slight damper on the possibility of Boniface actually being able to play. “Of course he still needs training time, but it’s also good that he’s back to being part of the team, part of the squad, that he’s at the meetings, getting that feeling of being there again.” And being able to play a role – either as a substitute or in Xabi Alonso’s bluff.