Victor Boniface: Martinez explains why Super Eagles star was left out of Bayer Leverkusen Europa League squad
Bayer Leverkusen manager Carles Martínez has explained why Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface was left out of the club’s UEFA Europa League squad despite showing encouraging form during pre-season.
Boniface impressed during Leverkusen’s preparations for the 2026/27 campaign, scoring twice in a 7-0 victory over Sportfreunde Baumberg as he attempted to put a difficult injury-hit period behind him.
However, the Nigerian was not included in Leverkusen’s Europa League squad, with Martínez revealing that the forward is still not fully fit to compete at the highest level.
According to Martínez, Boniface had been struggling with his knee when preparations began and was significantly behind his teammates physically.
“Two months ago, when we started our preparations, this question was not to be expected. He wasn’t ready, he was in pain, his knee wasn’t doing so well, and physically he was very far behind,” Martínez said, as quoted by Kicker.
The Leverkusen coach, however, stressed that Boniface’s condition has improved considerably and expressed optimism about the striker’s continued recovery.
Martínez said the Nigerian’s knee is now responding much better, although he still experiences occasional minor problems.
“He is getting better and better,” the coach said, while expressing hope that Boniface can eventually return to 100 per cent fitness and rediscover his best form.
The decision to leave Boniface out of the Europa League squad is therefore understood to be primarily related to his fitness rather than a lack of confidence in his ability.
Martínez also suggested that the door remains open for Boniface to force his way back into the European squad if his condition improves sufficiently.
The Nigerian striker endured a difficult 2025/26 season during his loan spell at Werder Bremen, where fitness problems limited him to 11 Bundesliga appearances without scoring. He subsequently returned to Leverkusen, where he remains under contract until June 2028.
His return to the scoresheet during pre-season offered encouragement that he could revive his Leverkusen career after a challenging period.
For now, Boniface’s priority will be to regain full fitness and consistency as he seeks to re-establish himself under Martínez and return to contention for both club and country.
The 25-year-old will hope that continued progress in the coming months can lead to a return to the Leverkusen squad for the latter stages of the campaign.
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