Leverkusen lament Fernandez setback but could hand Schick DFB-Pokal start
Bayer Leverkusen have received mixed injury news, with Ezequiel Fernandez out and Patrik Schick ready for a first start since September.
Kasper Hjulmand concedes Ezequiel Fernandez's knee injury represents a major setback for Bayer Leverkusen, but they could have Patrik Schick back in their starting lineup against Paderborn in the DFB-Pokal.
Fernandez was substituted in the 67th minute of Sunday's 2-0 victory over Freiburg, a result that lifted Hjulmand's side to fifth in the Bundesliga table.
The club subsequently confirmed the Argentine, who arrived from Al-Qadsiah in pre-season and has started their last five games, could miss two months after sustaining ligament damage in his left knee.
Leverkusen – who won the DFB-Pokal in 2023-24 and reached the semi-finals last season – take on second-tier Paderborn at Home Deluxe Arena on Wednesday.
As well as that game, Fernandez will miss headline Bundesliga meetings with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund and up to three Champions League matches.
"This is obviously a setback for the team and for him. But our focus is on the players who are fit to play," Hjulmand said at Tuesday's pre-match press conference.
"And in addition to Aleix Garcia and Robert Andrich, we have very good options in Ibrahim (Maza), Jonas (Hofmann), and also Malik (Tillman), when he returns soon."
Leverkusen at least welcomed Schick back from injury as a substitute on Sunday, following a month-long absence, and he has a chance to start against the team currently sat second in the 2.Bundesliga.
"Patrik has worked very well for his comeback. And he's also made further progress in the last few days," Hjulmand added.
"I won't publicly reveal who will play and who won't, one day before the game. We have very good options.
"We have respect for the competition and our opponents, but at the same time, our focus is entirely on advancing."
Schick scored 27 goals in 45 games in all competitions last season, with just 27 of those appearances being starts.
Bayern Munich's Harry Kane (38 goals) and Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy (34) were the only Bundesliga players to outscore Schick in 2024-25.
Leverkusen have only failed to get beyond the second round of the DFB-Pokal twice in the last eight years, in 2022-23 (first round) and 2021-22 (second round).
