Guela Doue out for weeks with calf injury

Bayer Leverkusen will be without Guela Doue for the coming weeks after the right-back suffered a muscle injury in his right calf.

The problem occurred during Tuesday’s final training session before the Europa League opener against NK Celje, with an MRI scan confirming the diagnosis on Wednesday.

Doué has already been ruled out of Sunday’s Bundesliga home match against RB Leipzig, scheduled for 3:30 p.m. The club has not provided a specific recovery date, meaning his return will depend on how he responds to treatment and rehabilitation.

The setback is another frustrating moment for the summer signing, who joined Leverkusen from Strasbourg in a transfer reportedly worth around €30 million. After arriving in Germany, Doue initially trained individually and missed the match against Union Berlin because of minor physical problems.

He finally made his competitive debut last weekend, coming off the bench for 27 minutes against Augsburg. However, his promising start has now been interrupted before he could build momentum.

Leverkusen expect the defender to remain unavailable for several weeks. A clearer indication of his comeback timetable is likely to emerge after the upcoming international break, when coach Carles Martinez will assess whether Doue can return to team training.