'His knee looks quite good' - Bayer Leverkusen chief provides fitness update on Boniface

Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes has offered a positive but cautious update on the recovery of Nigerian forward Victor Boniface, who is working his way back to full fitness following a long injury layoff that disrupted his loan spell at Werder Bremen.

Speaking on the striker’s condition, Rolfes highlighted encouraging signs regarding his rehabilitation while also pointing to physical conditioning as a key area for improvement.

“His knee looks quite good today. But his weight is a bit of a weak point. It is our goal for him to get back into top form. Then he will have a future with many teams,” Rolfes said in an interview with Sport Bild, via Die Rheinpfalz.

The Leverkusen chief also emphasized the ongoing communication between both parties during Boniface’s recovery journey.

“We text each other every few days,” he added, underlining the club’s continued involvement in the forward’s rehabilitation process.

Rolfes further praised the 25-year-old’s past contributions, particularly his decisive role in Bayer Leverkusen’s historic 2023-24 campaign.

“We will never forget what Boni did for us in that championship season. He embodied exactly what we needed: that attacking mindset,” he stated.

Boniface’s loan spell at Werder Bremen, which was intended to provide him with consistent playing time, was heavily disrupted by injury setbacks.

The Nigerian striker struggled with a recurring knee problem that required surgery, significantly limiting his appearances and preventing him from building momentum in Germany’s top flight.

Reports indicate that the injury issues not only sidelined him for long spells but also affected his match sharpness and physical condition upon return to action.

At Bremen, he was unable to consistently feature, with fitness concerns restricting his involvement and halting what was expected to be a key development phase in his career.