Boniface misses training as Leverkusen works on exit
Xabi Alonso confirmed negotiations for Victor Boniface's exit are ongoing after the forward was left out of Bayer Leverkusen training, ahead of its Champions League clash with Sparta Prague.
The 24 year-old returned from injury on Saturday but was on the bench for Leverkusen's 2-2 draw with RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga.
German media reports have linked the striker with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr.
Before his injury in November, he had scored eight goals in 15 games in all competitions. Last season, he netted 14 goals in 23 league appearances to finish as the club's top scorer and played a pivotal role in securing Leverkusen's first Bundesliga title.
"The situation with [Boniface] does exist. Negotiations are ongoing with the club, so we have to wait. Our preparation for the match remains the same," Alonso said.
Leverkusen has won its last three home Champions League matches without conceding a single goal – it has never previously won four in a row on home soil in the competition, with its current run its fourth sequence of three consecutive wins.
"We prepared [for the game] without Boni, of course. We still have to wait a little longer to see [how the situation unfolds]," Alonso said.
"After the Jeanuel [Belocian] and Martin [Terrier] injuries, we already said that we need to be active in the transfer window. Three days still remain and we are so close [to a decision].
"I am, and I will be, happy with the squad [regardless]. Until now, all players feel that they are ready, and they are an important part of the team."
Defender Belocian suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury at the start of the year and winger Terrier sustained an Achilles tendon rupture last week.
Leverkusen, eighth in the Champions League standings on 13 points, has already booked at least a knockout stage play-off spot, while Sparta, with four points from seven games, has been eliminated.
The top eight teams from the first phase qualify automatically for the last 16, while those finishing ninth to 24th go into the playoffs next month, with the draw taking place on Saturday.
