Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz to miss several weeks with ankle ligament injury

Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz gets injured and has to leave the pitch during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen at the BayArena in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Martin Meissner]
LEVERKUSEN, Germany (AP) — Bayer Leverkusen’s star attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz is set to be out for several weeks with an ankle ligament injury in a further blow to the team’s already-difficult German title defense. The 21-year-old Wirtz went off injured Saturday in a 2-0 loss to Werder Bremen and will now miss Leverkusen’s second-leg game against Bayern Munich in the Champions League round of 16 on Tuesday. Bayern leads 3-0 from the first leg. Sporting director Simon Rolfes says the injury “obviously affects us” but adds he expects Wirtz to return before the end of the season.
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