Nathan Tella a doubt for Leverkusen vs Holstein Kiel

Bayer 04 Leverkusen manager, Xabi Alonso, has said he is unsure whether Nathan Tella will be fit for their upcoming match against Holstein Kiel.

The 25-year-old forward has played in 18 of Leverkusen’s 22 league games this season, scoring one goal and providing two assists.

Tella played 85 minutes in last weekend’s 0-0 draw with Bayern Munich, before being substituted for Amine Adli, but he suffered a hip injury afterwards.

Leverkusen will travel to Kiel tomorrow to play the struggling team, and Alonso gave an update on Tella’s condition.

“We’ll train now and see how Nathan feels,” Alonso said. “There are doubts about him. It’s not a serious injury, but he has some discomfort in his hip. We need to check how he feels today. It hasn’t gone away yet, but we don’t know if he will be able to play.”

Leverkusen’s sporting director, Simon Rolfes, is confident his team can perform well in the upcoming Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, where they have drawn Bayern Munich.

“We know we can beat Bayern, and they know that too,” said Rolfes. “But we still respect them as a top team. We know them well, and they know us well. This will be a high-level match, and we are ready for it. Our goal was to reach the Round of 16, and now we want to show our qualities.”

Leverkusen are currently second in the Bundesliga, eight points behind Bayern Munich at the top and five points ahead of third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt.