Bayer Leverkusen release injury statement ahead of Chelsea as four players to miss friendly

Bayer Leverkusen will be without four players for their pre-season friendly against Chelseaon Friday evening.

The Blues welcome the Bundesliga side to Stamford Bridge in what is the west Londoners' first pre-season friendly of the season. Enzo Maresca and his players had a much longer 2024/25 campaign than usual due to their Club World Cup success, with the squad only returning to training at Cobham on Monday.

Chelsea play Bayer Leverkusen on Friday and then AC Milan on Sunday before the Premier League season gets under way next weekend. The Blues face Crystal Palace on Sunday, August 17 and Maresca will want to use the two pre-season friendlies to get as many minutes into his players' legs as possible.

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Leverkusen have already played four friendlies this summer, winning three of them, so will be a tough challenge for Maresca's men. Erik ten Hag will be without four players for the clash in London, though, with Exequiel Palacios, Jonas Hofmann, Arthur and Malik Tillman not making the trip.

In a statement the German side said: "Bundesliga club Bayer 04 Leverkusen will be without first team squad members Exequiel Palacios and Jonas Hofmann for the time being. Both players suffered injuries to their left hamstrings during Tuesday's 3-0 friendly victory against newly promoted Italian Serie A side, Pisa SC.

"Brazilian player Arthur is also sidelined for the time being. The right-back injured his left ankle against Pisa and has not travelled for today's friendly match at Chelsea in London. New signing Malik Tillman also stayed at home. The US international is currently recovering from an injury in his left calf. Tillman is expected to return for the Bundesliga opener in two weeks' time at home to TSG Hoffenheim."

Ahead of the match, Maresca spoke about starting pre-season so late and what he hopes to get out of the next two games. "I can see that the mood is different, or much better," Maresca said.

"When you finish the season the way we finished – getting the top five, winning the Conference League and then the Club World Cup – I think it is going to give the players more energy, a boost But we need to see how we manage this kind of situation that is new for everyone. The focus was just to allow them to recover because we played 64 games, and they didn’t stop playing for more than a year in a row.

"That is something that has never happened before, so the main focus was just to allow the players to recover. Then they came back here and now we try to do our best. We will see game by game."