In the “final” for the group win, Leverkusen coach Gerado Seoane may have to do without his two top centre forwards. After Patrick Schick (torn ankle ligament), Lucas Alario is now also in danger of being out.
It will be a race against the clock. Best case scenario. On Wednesday morning, at any rate, Lucas Alario was absent from final training ahead of the Werkself’s Europa-League match on Thursday against Betis Sevilla and is in danger of dropping out on Thursday.
The Argentine is plagued by muscular problems in the calf area, which are caused by the penalty striker’s recurring knee problems. On Tuesday, however, Bayer had not yet given up hope of the international playing against Betis Sevilla. It is hoped that the international will be ready to play at the last minute.
For Bayer, Alario’s absence would be a hard blow. Without the two internationals, Gerardo Seoane does not have an equivalent replacement for the centre of attack, so he would have to nominate a false nine in place of centre-forward Alario, as he did a week ago in the 2-1 defeat against KSC with Paulinho or Amine Adli.
Bravo ineligible in Europa League
Because 16-year-old U-19 centre-forward Iker Bravo, who was used as a wild card against KSC, is not eligible to play in the Europa League. Only 18-year-old Emrehan Gedikli would be available as a trained centre-forward, but he is not considered a possible candidate for the starting line-up.
On Saturday in the 0:2 against Wolfsburg the 29-year-old had lasted over 90 minutes. Now, depending on the physios’ assessments, Seoane will have to weigh up whether to risk Alario’s call-up against Betis or rather gamble that he will be able to feature for Hertha BSC on Sunday.
After Schick, Karim Bellarabi (muscle fibre tear in the thigh), Charles Aranguiz (muscle tendon injury in the calf), Julian Baumgartlinger (rehab after knee surgery), Timothy Fosu-Mensah (rehabilitation training after cruciate ligament tear), and Mitchel Bakker (bone oedema in the ankle), Alario would be the next loss of a potential starting player.
