Alonso: Boniface Nearing Full Fitness for Leverkusen Return

Xabi Alonso, Bayer Leverkusen’s coach, said ahead of Tuesday’s Bundesliga match against Mainz that forward Victor Boniface is close to returning after two months out with a hamstring injury.

Boniface, 24, sustained the injury in November after returning from international duty with Nigeria.

Before his injury, Boniface had scored eight goals in 15 matches across all competitions this season. Last season, he netted 14 goals in 23 Bundesliga matches, becoming the team’s top scorer and playing a pivotal role in Leverkusen’s first-ever league title.

Defender Janoel Belousian remains sidelined after tearing his ACL last month, while forward Amine Adli is still recovering and will miss the Mainz game.

Speaking on Monday, Alonso said: “Adli won’t return to the team before the end of January at the earliest, but Boniface could be back next week. He still needs significant training time.”

Alonso also confirmed that Florian Wirtz, who only played 25 minutes in Leverkusen’s 3-2 win over Borussia Dortmund due to an internal issue, will start against Mainz.

After six consecutive victories, Leverkusen is second in the Bundesliga with 35 points, four behind league leaders Bayern Munich.

Leverkusen faces a challenging period with five matches in 15 days. They resume their Champions League campaign on January 21, away at Atlético Madrid. Alonso said the team is eagerly anticipating the game.

“Sometimes it’s good to have little time and keep playing,” Alonso said. “If we don’t give 100 percent on the pitch tomorrow against Mainz, we’ll face problems.”

Mainz, currently fifth, is also in strong form, with three consecutive wins, including a 2-1 victory over Bayern in mid-December, handing the Bavarians their first league loss of the season.

“They’re very strong right now,” Alonso said of Mainz. “They play boldly with the ball and show great energy. They have excellent timing for when to press high and when to sit deeper.”

After facing Mainz, Leverkusen will host Borussia Mönchengladbach in the league next Saturday.