Xabi Alonso has dampened expectations of attacker Patrik Schick’s return. The Bayer Leverkusen coach said to ‘Bild’: “I’m better. Patrik is not fit to play yet. He has to train and do more things so we know he’s on the right track. But he’s not completely fit at the moment.” With that, the Spaniard continues to step on the brakes.
Leverkusen have had to do without Schick since the beginning of November. Since then, the 27-year-old Czech has been plagued by adductor problems. The situation is different with playmaker Florian Wirtz. The 19-year-old has been able to play again for a few games after tearing his cruciate ligament. However, Alsonso does not want to overload the exceptional talent: “We decided with Florian that after a ten-month layoff due to injury, he won’t be able to play every minute. We have to control the load. He was there today and he will play in the next game.”
