Bayer Leverkusen must beat Hamburg and hope that VfB Stuttgart and Hoffenheim both lose on Saturday in order to secure their place in next season’s UEFA Champions League, but their task will be significantly harder with two attacking players facing a race to be fit.
With Martin Terrier (thigh) already sidelined and Nathan Tella (muscular) a doubt, Christian Kofane’s participation is also at risk.
Kicker report that the Cameroonian forward suffered a shoulder injury during Leverkusen’s 3-1 defeat against Stuttgart on Matchday 33. Should both Kofane and Tella miss Saturday’s clash, Kasper Hjulmand will lose significant pace in the final third with Ernest Poku the only viable option, but the Dutch attacker has been sub-par in recent performances.
Via a poll on Kicker, only 6 per cent of voters (331) believe that Leverkusen will qualify for the Champions League ahead of Stuttgart (3935 votes) and Hoffenheim (859 votes).
GGFN | News Desk
