Bayer Leverkusen face a testing period after two of their young forwards picked up injuries while away on international duty. 

The club confirmed on Thursday that striker Christian Kofane sustained a thigh injury during his time with Cameroon and will be unavailable for the coming weeks.

The 20-year-old has made an encouraging start to life at the BayArena, finding the net three times in just six appearances.

 His absence will force manager Xabi Alonso to reshuffle his attacking options at a key stage of the Bundesliga campaign. 

Leverkusen’s next fixture is an away trip to Mainz on Saturday, where the side will now have to cope without one of their emerging talents.

Adding to the squad concerns is the situation surrounding Ibrahim Maza. The young midfielder or forward suffered an ankle injury while representing Algeria in their 2-1 victory over Niger on Tuesday. 

Maza was involved in a challenge for the ball and was forced off in the 40th minute. Although he initially attempted to continue, he soon collapsed in pain and required treatment on the pitch.

It remains unclear whether the 20-year-old will recover in time to feature against Mainz. Club medical staff are assessing the severity of the problem, and further updates are expected in the coming days.

The double setback comes at an inconvenient moment for Leverkusen as they look to maintain momentum in the league. 

Both Kofane and Maza have shown promising signs this season, and their temporary absences will test the squad’s depth. 

Fans will hope for swift recoveries so the pair can return to full fitness and continue contributing to the team’s ambitions.

With the Mainz match approaching quickly, attention now turns to how the remaining players step up in the absence of these two talented youngsters.