Bayer Leverkusen hit with Ezequiel Fernández (23) injury | OneFootball

Bayer Leverkusen confirmed on Monday that they would be without Ezequiel Fernández (23) for the coming months after the Argentine midfielder sustained a ligament injury in his left knee during their Bundesliga win over Freiburg on Sunday afternoon.

The 23-year-old is expected to be out for around seven to eight weeks, but won’t need surgery.

Fernández will undergo his rehabilitation at Leverkusen’s HQ and it’s the latest blow for Kasper Hjulmand with Exequiel Palacios also sidelined for the remainder of 2025 with an adductor injury.

Bayer Leverkusen’s midfield options

Robert Andrich replaced Fernández just after the hour mark and it’s likely that the Leverkusen captain will form a double pivot alongside Aleix Garcia over the coming weeks, but the 2023/24 Bundesliga champions are thin on the ground when it comes to central midfield options.

One stop-gap could potentially be Jonas Hofmann. The former Borussia Mönchengladbach player has a history of playing in a central position and with few options, he could be the player Hjulmand calls upon.

GGFN | Daniel Pinder