Overview

• Victor Boniface, Bayer Leverkusen's leading scorer with six Bundesliga goals this season, suffered a thigh muscle injury while playing for Nigeria.
• Coach Xabi Alonso confirmed Boniface will miss several games, including Saturday's Bundesliga match against Heidenheim and Tuesday's Champions League clash with RB Salzburg.
• Alonso expressed hope that Boniface could return before the winter break in late December, though the exact recovery timeline remains uncertain.
• Leverkusen, currently fourth in the Bundesliga and nine points behind Bayern Munich, are entering a demanding period with eight matches over the next four weeks, including a German Cup game against Bayern.
• The injury compounds Leverkusen's struggles, as fellow forward Amine Adli is also sidelined until January, leaving Patrik Schick and youth players to step up in attack.