Leverkusen face injury headache before PSG clash in Champions League

Head coach Kasper Hjulmand confirmed that several first-team players will be unavailable as the club looks to recover from a string of fitness setbacks.

Long-term absentees Axel Tapa and Exequiel Palacios remain sidelined, while Malik Tillman, Nathan Tella, and Lucas Vazquez have also been ruled out of the league phase encounter.

There was, however, some cautious optimism regarding striker Patrik Schick and defender Jarell Quansah, who both missed Saturday's dramatic 4-3 Bundesliga win over Mainz. The pair returned to training on Monday, but Hjulmand admitted their involvement against PSG would be a late call.

"We'll see tomorrow," the Danish coach said. "It looks better day by day, but nothing is certain yet. We need to be smart with our decisions."

Leverkusen's options are further limited by registration rules, with Jonas Hofmann and Martin Terrier, both influential in the weekend victory, ineligible for the Champions League.

Despite the mounting challenges, Leverkusen remain unbeaten in Europe this season and are determined to make a strong impression against Luis Enrique's PSG side, who lead the league phase standings after back-to-back wins.

The German club, who lifted their first-ever Bundesliga title in 2024, will rely heavily on the creativity of young talents like Arthur Paqueta and the leadership of captain Jonathan Tah as they aim to continue their impressive run under Hjulmand.

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