Xabi Alonso guarantees Wirtz start against Mainz, gives update on Boniface

Out of the blue, Florian Wirtz was left out of Bayer Leverkusen's starting line-up for Friday's 3-2 win over Borussia Dortmund.

After the game, Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso explained that he had benched Wirtz and Argentinian midfielder Exequiel Palacios because they had missed the final preparations for the game after getting stuck in a traffic jam.

Wirtz eventually came off the bench after just over an hour and is now set to return to the starting line-up for Tuesday's match against Mainz.

"There is no problem. He will play from the start tomorrow," Xabi Alonso told reporters at a press conference on Monday.

The Spaniard also gave an update on his injured players, including Victor Boniface, who hasn't played since suffering a hamstring injury in November. The Nigerian striker could "maybe" return next week, he said.

“There's still a question mark. He's going in the right direction in terms of feeling perfect and then he needs time to train.”

Amine Adli, who is out with a broken fibula, is expected to return in late January or early February, Alonso revealed.