Leverkusen Coach Warns €32 Million Signing Ben Seghir to Manage His Body
Eliesse Ben Seghir has suffered his third injury since the summer. The Moroccan international, signed by Bayer Leverkusen for €32 million, has just received a particularly blunt message from his coach, Carles Martínez.
“He needs to learn to manage his body better.” Carles Martínez chose his words after Bayer Leverkusen’s 4-3 win at Mainz on Saturday, October 10. The Spanish coach made no secret of his frustration at Eliesse Ben Seghir’s repeated injuries. The player was ruled out of the match with a new muscular problem.
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“Eli wants to play and help the team. But he needs to learn to understand his body better and manage it,” said the coach, quoted by the German daily Bild. The message is clear for the 21-year-old Moroccan, whose third injury since the start of pre-season has disrupted the club’s plans.
The player had only just returned to the pitch. In a 6-0 friendly win over Fortuna Cologne, he played 19 minutes. It was a brief appearance before this latest setback, as Leverkusen had hoped to finally be able to count on him regularly.
A €32 million transfer yet to pay off
Having arrived from Monaco in the summer of 2025 for €32 million, Ben Seghir had already raised questions about his output in Germany. His physical problems have further complicated his situation, and he has yet to play a single minute in the Bundesliga this season.
Sporting director Simon Rolfes is not hiding his frustration. “He won’t be out for long; it’s not a serious injury. But it’s obviously frustrating, because it’s starting to happen repeatedly,” he explained. His hope is that this third physical setback will be the last.
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Carles Martínez also announced that tests would be carried out to determine how long his player would be sidelined. “We’re not happy, because every player is important,” he stressed after the match.
Meanwhile, Nathan Tella returned in Mainz, coming on in the 75th minute after his own muscular problems. The coach was pleased to have the Nigerian forward back, now available to strengthen an attack still without Ben Seghir.
