Guéla Doué will have to wait for his Bayer Leverkusen debut after head coach Carles Martinez confirmed the defender has been ruled out of Saturday’s Bundesliga fixture against Union Berlin through injury.
The 23-year-old, who completed a reported €30 million transfer from RC Strasbourg on deadline day, has been sidelined by a minor fitness issue. Martinez revealed the news at a press conference on Friday, indicating Doué would not be part of the squad for the weekend encounter.
“Doué has a minor problem. He’s not ready to be part of the squad tomorrow,” Martinez said.
Swift return expected
Despite the late blow ahead of the meeting with Union Berlin, there is optimism the absence will be brief. Martinez anticipates the 23-year-old could return to the squad as early as next week, suggesting the issue is not severe enough to threaten a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Deadline-day deal on hold
Doué’s move from RC Strasbourg was among Leverkusen’s final pieces of summer business as they reinforced their defensive options. The club’s outlay underlines the esteem in which they hold the young defender, yet supporters eager to see him make his first appearance in club colours will have to remain patient.
At 23, Doué was brought in to add depth and competition to a defensive unit facing a demanding schedule. His unavailability for the Union Berlin clash means that integration into Martinez’s system will take slightly longer than initially hoped.
Should he recover as anticipated, the defender could be back in the matchday fold next week, giving the squad a timely boost as the fixture list thickens.