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Ben Seghir’s fresh start at Leverkusen interrupted by untimely injury
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- Ben Seghir’s fresh start at Leverkusen interrupted by untimely injury
(USA TODAY Sports)
Eliesse Ben Seghir arrived at Bayer Leverkusen last summer as one of the club's biggest statements of intent. Twelve months later, the Moroccan international is facing another setback at the worst possible moment.
The 21-year-old entered preseason with renewed confidence and a clear objective: finally show why Leverkusen invested €32 million to bring him from AS Monaco . After a difficult debut campaign under former head coach Kasper Hjulmand, Ben Seghir saw the arrival of Carles Martínez as the opportunity for a reset.
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The new Leverkusen coach had already made his intentions clear during their first conversations. Martínez, who faced Ben Seghir during his time coaching Toulouse in Ligue 1, knows the winger's qualities and believes he can become an important player in the Bundesliga.
That trust was exactly what Ben Seghir had been searching for.
His first season in Germany never truly got going. Despite arriving with a reputation as one of France's most exciting attacking talents, the winger struggled to establish himself in Hjulmand's plans. Across the Bundesliga campaign, he managed only 246 minutes, leaving him with little opportunity to build rhythm or confidence.
The start of preseason appeared to signal a different chapter.
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Ben Seghir returned motivated, energetic and determined to compete for a starting role in Martínez's new-look Leverkusen side. His technical ability, dribbling and creativity make him a profile that fits naturally into the coach's attacking philosophy, which places importance on flexible positioning and players capable of creating advantages in one-versus-one situations.
The early weeks under Martínez were particularly important because Ben Seghir was expected to benefit from a more fluid attacking structure. The Spanish coach's preference for positional rotations and technical quality in wide areas could have given the former Monaco talent more freedom to influence games. After a frustrating first season, the winger finally appeared ready to take responsibility and prove his value in Leverkusen colours.
However, his progress has now been interrupted.
Before Bayer's first preseason friendly against SF Baumberg, Ben Seghir felt discomfort in his right thigh. Initially rested as a precaution, further examinations revealed a muscle injury that will keep him away from team training for at least two to three weeks.
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The timing is particularly frustrating.
With a new coach arriving and places in the starting XI available, the preseason period represented a crucial opportunity for Ben Seghir to prove himself. Instead, he is now forced to focus on recovery while his teammates continue adapting to Martínez's tactical ideas.
The injury will also affect his preparation for Bayer's training camp in Blankenhain, scheduled from August 1 to 7. Ben Seghir is expected to travel with the squad, allowing him to continue rehabilitation work alongside the medical staff, but he is unlikely to participate fully in team sessions.
Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes remains optimistic despite the setback.
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"It's a real shame for Eliesse that he got injured. He made a good start in the first week. Now we hope that he can return as quickly as possible and simultaneously build up good fitness."
For Ben Seghir, the objective remains unchanged: return healthy and finally show the qualities that convinced Leverkusen to make such a significant investment.
If he can recover as expected and regain his sharpness by mid-August, the winger could still become one of the most interesting players in Martínez's first season at the BayArena. The opportunity is there, but after a difficult first year, patience will once again be required.
