Bayer 04 Leverkusen had to do without key player Alejandro Grimaldo three times in a row at the end of the year. Now the Spaniard is back, as is Ernest Poku. And the situation with Exequiel Palacios is also positive.
Kasper Hjulmand also took some time for the fans on Sunday afternoon, signing autographs and taking selfies. 1,200 of them had come to watch the first public training session of the year at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion. “I have a lot of respect for our fans, it was very cold. It was great that so many were there, including children.”
Before signing autographs, Hjulmand and the team, who had already started their preparations behind closed doors on Saturday, had work to do. Jeremiah Mensah and Montrell Culbreath from the U19 team were allowed to train with the pros. In addition to the four Africa Cup of Nations participants Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso), Ibrahim Maza (Algeria), Eliesse Ben Seghir (Morocco), and Christian Kofane (Cameroon), Exequiel Palacios and Loic Badé also missed the session.
Palacios is ahead of schedule
The latter only had to sit out due to illness, but Hjulmand is not worried about the restart against Stuttgart on Saturday (6:30 p.m.). Palacios will not be able to play in that game. The Argentine continues to work on his comeback after his adductor injury and completed an individual program on Sunday. But his coach emphasized: “It’s looking very good.” The defensive midfielder is ahead of the original comeback plan and is likely to return in January instead of February.
Ernest Poku, who missed the Leipzig game with thigh problems, was back on Sunday. The Dutchman completed parts of the approximately one-hour session, and Hjulmand also gave a positive outlook for him.
“We believe it’s possible,” said the coach when asked about Poku’s availability for next weekend.
Grimaldo takes it “a little easier”
Hjulmand was even more optimistic about his key player Alejandro Grimaldo. He had missed the last three games, but seems to have gotten his muscle problems under control during the break. “We have to be a little careful so that it doesn’t happen again,” Hjulmand warned, explaining why Grimaldo had taken it “a little easier” in the first two training sessions of the year. “Now it’s a matter of not doing too much too soon, but we believe he will be able to play on Saturday.”
Grimaldo’s compatriot Lucas Vazquez had already made his comeback against Leipzig after a two-month absence due to muscle problems. “He’s fit,” Hjulmand said of the 34-year-old. “But there’s always a difference between being injury-free, ready to play, and ready to perform.” Vazquez ‘naturally’ still needs a little time to reach his best form, but the positive conclusion was the same for him: “He’s ready to play.”
Traoré must be patient
Meanwhile, there is still no news about possible transfers at the start of the 2026 training year. The only new signing, Issa Traoré, who joined in 2024, did not play on Sunday. The center back is waiting for his visa, after which he could become a loan candidate in order to gain playing experience in European professional soccer for the first time in his career.
