Boniface sustained a thigh injury while on national duty for Nigeria in November last year during the Super Eagles' 2-1 loss to Rwanda in a CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier, Soccernet.ng wrote.

The injury ruled him out for the remainder of 2024, with expectations that he would return early in the new year.

However, Leverkusen announced that Boniface's recovery has been delayed.

"Jonas Hofmann, Amine Adli, and Victor Boniface are still sidelined," read a statement from the club.

"The return of the Nigerian has been delayed due to a minor setback in his rehab. Winter signing Alejo Sarco was also not on the team sheet, as the Argentinian is gradually being introduced to the squad and match action."

Boniface has already missed Leverkusen's first game of the year, a 2-0 victory against RW Oberhausen last Sunday.

The Nigerian striker's prolonged absence is a concern for Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso, as his team seeks to defend their Bundesliga title. Leverkusen currently sits second on the Bundesliga table with 32 points, four points behind leaders Bayern Munich.

Boniface's return will be crucial for both club and country as Leverkusen continues their domestic campaign and Nigeria prepares for FIFA World Cup qualifiers in March.

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Teams	M	W	L	PTS
Eastern Storm	3	2	1	53.72
South Western Districts	2	2	0	49.1
Knights	2	2	0	46.28
Mpumalanga	2	1	1	30.4
Border	2	1	1	30.14
Limpopo	3	0	3	10.74
Northern Cape	2	0	2	9.1

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