Werder Bremen striker Victor Boniface has been ruled out of Sunday’s Bundesliga home clash against VfB Stuttgart due to a knee injury sustained during training. The 24-year-old Nigerian forward, currently on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, suffered a knee contusion following a knee-to-knee collision in a challenge. Head coach Horst Steffen confirmed the injury, stating, “It was a knee-to-knee incident in a challenge. And that really hurt,” as reported by All Nigeria Soccer.
The club has not specified the duration of Boniface’s absence, but his availability for the upcoming away match against FC Augsburg on December 20 remains uncertain. Boniface has struggled with form and fitness this season, having not started a match since November 1. Despite being named in Nigeria’s provisional squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, he was omitted from the final 28-man list announced on Thursday.
In addition to Boniface, Werder Bremen will also be missing long-term injured players Mitchell Weiser, Felix Agu, and Maximilian Wöber. These absences are expected to pose tactical challenges for Coach Steffen as the team seeks to maintain competitiveness in the league.