Eliesse Ben Seghir poised for Bayer Leverkusen start in new campaign

Eliesse Ben Seghir could finally make his first Bayer Leverkusen squad of the new season when the club visit FC Augsburg on Saturday.

The 21-year-old attacking midfielder has recovered from the thigh injury that delayed his campaign and is now considered match fit after almost two months out.

The Morocco international was injured in mid-July, before Leverkusen’s first friendly, and the initial expectation was an absence of roughly four weeks. His rehabilitation took longer than planned, however, leaving the €32 million signing unavailable until the opening of a demanding run of fixtures.

Despite a difficult start to his Leverkusen career, Ben Seghir remains highly rated internally. Head coach Carles Martinez knows the player from France and values his technical quality, while sporting director Simon Rolfes has said Martínez was surprised by the attacker’s limited opportunities at the club previously.

Ben Seghir’s ability in tight spaces could make him especially valuable against deep, compact defences. Along with Ibrahim Maza, he is regarded as one of Leverkusen’s few natural players capable of unlocking crowded back lines through close control and creativity.

He has made 15 competitive appearances without a direct goal contribution since arriving from AS Monaco. Saturday could offer the first step toward changing that record.