Related items

• 'It's a shame' - Alonso confirms Leverkusen's Boniface out with thigh injury

  Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso confirmed that Victor Boniface will be sidelined for some time after picking up a thigh injury on international duty with Nigeria. 

  Boniface, who has scored eight goals in 15 appearances in all competitions this season, was replaced late on in the Super Eagles' 2-1 defeat to Rwanda on Monday. 

  It is another blow for Leverkusen, who have managed 17 points from 10 games so far this season, the worst start to a league campaign in 12 years by a defending champion.

  Only Omar Marmoush and Harry Kane (both 11) have scored more goals in the league than Boniface this term (six). 

  Alonso revealed that the 23-year-old will miss Saturday's Bundesliga encounter against Heidenheim and their Champions League tie against RB Salzburg next week. 

  "We will have to see how long he will be out. It is a shame," Alonso told a press conference.

  "He has a thigh injury. For tomorrow, for Salzburg and maybe a bit longer. We will have to wait and see.

  "It is too early to say but we hope he can still play this year. We have to see with the recovery and improvement but it is not a matter of six or eight weeks."

  Leverkusen have dropped points in six Bundesliga games already this season (D5, L1), as often as they did during the entirety of their 2023-24 title-winning campaign (D6).

  They come into this weekend's fixture against Heidenheim on a three-game winless run in the Bundesliga (D3), the first time they have gone this long without a victory since between April and May 2023 (five games). 

  Leverkusen sit fourth in the Bundesliga, already nine points behind leaders Bayern Munich as the busy festive schedule kickstarts on Saturday. 

  Alonso's side have eight games in just under a month, including a DFB-Pokal round of 16 clash with Bayern at the start of December. 

  "Eight games in four weeks. It is nothing new for us," Alonso said. "An intense phase is coming up for us and it starts tomorrow.

  "We have clear goals for the Bundesliga, the Champions League and the German Cup."

• Girona handed huge injury boosts ahead of Espanyol clash

  Michel says Girona are in better physical shape ahead of their home clash against Espanyol after being handed numerous injury boosts.

  Last season's surprise package, Girona, have had a mixed start to the campaign and sit 10th in the table but registered back-to-back league wins before the international break.

  They have struggled with injuries to key players this season, but Viktor Tsygankov, Jhon Solis, Arnaut Danjuma, Yaser Asprilla, Ladislav Krejci, Ivan Martin, and Alejandro Frances are all available for the game.

  Michel hopes that having a wider group of players available will help them to extend their winning run.

  "We are better physically. Only Yangel Herrera, [Gabriel] Misehouy, Portu and Abel Ruiz are out, and the rest are in the squad" Michel told reporters. 

  "Each case will be different in terms of giving us minutes, but they are ready to help us.

  "Now we have replacements in each position, and it gives me peace of mind. We need everyone ready and in the next two to three weeks, we will be ready to play at 100%."

  Michel said Herrera, who has scored twice and registered one assist in LaLiga this term, was not expected to return until the new year.

  "He is a player who makes the difference in terms of duels, arrivals into the opponent's area and possession. He is vital, but we will not have him until 2025," he added.

  Girona have 18 points after 13 games and will face an Espanyol side sitting in the relegation zone. The visitors are yet to win away this season, losing five of six games on the road, but Michel has won just one of his four LaLiga matches against Espanyol (D2 L1).

  The Girona head coach said Manolo Gonzalez's team cannot be taken lightly despite their underwhelming performances in away games.

  Espanyol are yet to win away this season, losing five of six games on the road.

  "We faced each other in pre-season and we drew. It will be difficult since they are a very good team in transition with players like [Javi] Puado or Jofre [Carreras] with speed and depth," Michel said.

  "It's always a different game. It's a derby, and it's good to play them. There is a rivalry that must be sporting and, for our people and the players, it is a different game."

• 'If we get relegated, I will be here', says Guardiola amid Man City charges

  Pep Guardiola insisted he would stay with Manchester City even if the club is relegated as punishment for their alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial rules.

  Guardiola, who joined City in 2016, signed a new two-year contract extension on Friday, ending speculation over his current deal that was due to expire at the end of the season.

  The deal itself will take Guardiola's tenure at the club to over a decade, making him City's longest-serving manager since Les McDowall in 1963.

  During his time in charge, the Spaniard has won 18 trophies, including six Premier League titles and their maiden Champions League crown last year. 

  He also boasts a 72.04% win percentage across all competitions, which is unsurprisingly the highest of any full-time City manager in history.

  However, a hearing into Man City's 115 charges for allegedly breaking the Premier League's rules is also under way, but Guardiola said he will stay regardless of the outcome. 

  "I said that six months ago. If we get relegated, I will be here and next year we're going to come up to the Premier League. I knew it then, I feel it now," Guardiola said. 

  He also revealed that he agreed to fresh terms at the Etihad in less than two hours. 

  "I felt I should stay here. Of course, because they want me. For obvious reasons, for the results and because we've known each other for a long time," he added. 

  "All my decisions have been like that, what I feel in the moment. I don't pre-convince, I wait. I decided to stay here and in just two hours we did it [agreed the contract]."

  City welcome Tottenham to the Etihad this weekend on the back of four consecutive defeats - Guardiola's longest losing run in his entire managerial career. 

  The Citizens last lost more consecutively between March and April 2006 under Stuart Pearce (six – the fifth game of which was also against Tottenham).

  They have also won just three of their last 10 top-flight games against Tottenham (D2 L5) and are looking to win consecutive meetings with them for the first time since April 2019.

  Despite their run of form, Guardiola was quick to point out his side's recent success, most notably becoming the first team to win four consecutive Premier League titles. 

  "When you are here for nine years, with a long time at one club, you live all the scenarios, all the situations," Guardiola said.

  "You're able to lose four games in a row, but at the same time, you're able to win four Premier Leagues in a row.

  "The difference is that most of the teams are able to lose four games in a row in different competitions, but just one team won four Premier Leagues in a row. So it happened.

  "Did it happen in one season? No. When you've been somewhere eight or nine years, yeah, both sides of the run can happen."