Before the Champions League home game against Newcastle United, the personnel situation at Bayer Leverkusen is easing. Alejandro Grimaldo can be there.
The training ground next to the Stelzenautobahn in Leverkusen has been unusually busy over the last few days. Except for the long-term injured Exequiel Palacios, all players were able to take part, including Lucas Vazquez and Ezequiel Fernandez, who have not been able to play for the Werkself since October.
At the press conference on Tuesday, coach Kasper Hjulmand left it open whether they would be in the squad for Wednesday’s home game against Newcastle United. “There is a difference between being injury-free and being ready to play,” said the Dane. “Both are fully training. We’ll see when they’re back.” Axel Tape could also return to the squad after recovering from his injury.
Grimaldo back in the squad
Alejandro Grimaldo will definitely be in the squad again. According to Hjulmand, the Spaniard, who was sorely missed in the 2-0 loss in Augsburg at the weekend, trained fully on Monday and Tuesday and looked good. “We are positive about that,” said the Bayer coach. However, Martin Terrier and Jonas Hofmann, who were last placed in the league but were not registered for the Champions League, are not there.
Bayer would like to take a big step in the table with a home win against the Magpies. Currently, only two points separate the Werkself in 17th place from the top eight, who will move straight into the round of 16 after the end of the league phase. But at least the place among the first 24 teams should be secured, which means entry into the playoffs.
Hjulmand and Quansah rely on the home advantage
“We want to take a big step in the tournament with a home win,” explained Hjulmand. The recent victories at Benfica Lisbon and Manchester City gave his team “a push”. But the motivation is great anyway: “We are playing the Champions League, in our stadium, in front of our fans – the anticipation is great.”
Leverkusen’s central defender Jarell Quansah is also relying on the home advantage before the duel with his compatriots. “It will be important to take the fans with you,” emphasized the England international. “We need that. They’ve been there for us all season. Tomorrow we want to give them something to cheer about.”
Quansah vs Woltemade
Quansah, who moved from the island to the Bundesliga in the summer, will then meet Nick Woltemade. The German international striker took the opposite approach shortly before the end of the transfer window when he left VfB Stuttgart for England and caused a sensation in Newcastle.
Woltemade has “impressive technical qualities and great quality in the opponent’s box,” said Quansah, who was able to compete head-to-head with the German in the final of the U21 European Championship in the summer. “His game may look a little unorthodox, but you should never lose sight of him. He can have a very big impact.” Quansah’s English won the European Championship final 3-2 after extra time.
Hjulmand on Newcastle: “Great team with a lot of power”
Newcastle currently has one point more than Bayer in the premier class and recently lost 2-1 at Olympique Marseille. “It’s a great team with a lot of power and forward momentum,” says Hjulmand. “Very physical, very good standards. They are a tough opponent, but so are we when we play our best football.”
Bayer cannot rely on experience from previous duels with Newcastle. The last time they met, the Magpies celebrated a 3-1 home win with legendary striker Alan Shearer scoring all three goals. However, that was on February 26, 2003. Jarell Quansah was one month old at the time.
Our sources:
- Press conference before the game against Newcastle United on December 9, 2025
Broadcast: WDR.de, xxx, 12/09/2025xx:xx p.m
