Leverkusen coach Alonso: Worried about the Africa Cup
Coach Xabi Alonso may be facing a major problem at Bayer Leverkusen at the start of next year. Five players are at risk of being absent from the Bundesliga club for longer due to the Africa Cup. "It's a worry for January and February, maybe not having five players," said Alonso on Friday in Baku, Azerbaijan. "It is a reality. We have to accept that." He is of course delighted for the players, but for him as a coach, the potential absences are a major blow.
For the upcoming international break, 24-year-old winger Nathan Tella was also called up to the national team of his home country Nigeria for the first time. In addition to Tella, center forward Victor Boniface (also Nigeria), Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso), Odilon Kossounou (Ivory Coast) and Amine Adli (Morocco) are also national players from Africa Cup participants.
The continental competition takes place from January 13 to February 11 in Côte d'Ivoire. Boniface and the two defenders Tapsoba and Kossounou are regulars under Alonso. The Bundesliga resumes on January 12 after the winter break.
In Baku, Leverkusen won 1:0 against FK Karabakh Agdam in the Europa League on Thursday to secure their progress. In the league, the Rhinelanders will host 1. FC Union Berlin on Sunday (15:30/DAZN).
It remains to be seen whether Alonso will be able to call on his Argentine world champion Exequiel Palacios again. The 25-year-old was absent from the Europa League due to knee problems. "He felt better yesterday," said Alonso about the defensive midfielder. "Maybe he can train tomorrow. If everything goes well, he'll be available for Sunday. But right now we still have a bit of doubt."
Source: www.dpa.com
