Leverkusen midfielder Fernandez sidelined with knee ligament injury

Bayer Leverkusen have confirmed that midfielder Ezequiel Fernandez will be sidelined for up to two months after sustaining a ligament injury in his left knee.

The Argentine was forced off with a knock in the 67th minute of Leverkusen’s 2-0 victory over Freiburg on Sunday, with Robert Andrich taking his place.

According to a club statement, Leverkusen expect Fernandez to be ruled out for seven to eight weeks, though they confirmed that the 23-year-old will not need to undergo surgery.

"Bayer 04 Leverkusen will have to manage without midfielder Ezequiel Fernandez for the next few games," the club statement opened.

"The Argentinian suffered a ligament injury in his left knee during the Bundesliga match against SC Freiburg (2-0) on Sunday 26 October.

"An operation is not necessary, Fernandez will complete his rehab at the Werkstatt, the Leverkusen training and rehabilitation centre. The 23-year-old is expected to be out of action for seven to eight weeks."

Since arriving in Germany from Saudi Arabia in the summer, Fernandez has quickly become a key part of Kasper Hjulmand’s midfield rotation.

He has featured in eight matches across the Bundesliga and Champions League, including starting Leverkusen’s last five.

His absence compounds Hjulmand’s midfield problems, with fellow Argentine Exequiel Palacios already ruled out for the rest of the year after undergoing surgery on a tendon detachment in his right adductor earlier in September.