Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby landed at Frankfurt Airport on Thursday. The fan favorite arrived with his family and a substantial amount of luggage:22 on 29 August 2026.
This return of the French international comes as the club prepares for the new Bundesliga season. Leverkusen finished the 2025 campaign in fifth place with 52 points from 29 matches. Their record showed 15 wins, seven draws, and seven losses. The goal difference of +20 (59 scored, 39 conceded) was the fourth-best in the league, but the gap to champions Bayern Munich was a significant 24 points. The current injury list, visible on our squad page, includes players like Arthur, Kennet Eichhorn, and Martin Terrier.
The return of a key player like Diaby just before the season starts is always an important signal. For Bayer Leverkusen, the first home match of the new season is on 5 September 2026 against Union Berlin. This fixture against last season's eleventh-placed team is a key early test. The squad aims to continue the positive finish to the last campaign, which ended with a run of two wins and three draws (WWDDD). All match dates can be found on the fixtures page.
Diaby's return to the team after the summer break coincides with a period where the squad is dealing with several absences. In addition to the players mentioned, Montrell Culbreath is also sidelined. The presence of an attack-minded and experienced player like Diaby is therefore particularly valuable. He brings pace and goal threat from the wing, attributes that play a central role in manager Xabi Alonso's system.
The Bayer Leverkusen squad looks back on a solid, if not outstanding, previous season. Fifth place secured participation in European competition. The defense was relatively stable with 39 goals conceded, while the offense, with 59 goals, seems to have room for improvement. The team played a total of 29 matches in the concluded 2025 season. A detailed look at the team's statistics is available on our stats page.
The major task will be to reduce the gap to the top. The 24-point deficit to Bayern Munich illustrates the scale of the challenge. Any points dropped in direct duels with the top teams must be compensated for by consistent performances against the rest of the league. The arrival of key performers like Diaby at training is a first step in the preparation.
Alongside the return of players from their summer break, other reports and videos concerning the club are circulating. In recent days, content with titles such as 'Nach CL-Pleite: SO will Bayer wieder angreifen' (After CL exit: HOW Bayer wants to attack again) or 'Emotionale Worte: Leverkusen-Trainer spricht über den Tod seines Freundes' (Emotional words: Leverkusen coach speaks about his friend's death) have been shared. One video also shows 'Leverkusen - Bayern München: Moderatorin lacht über aberkanntes Bayern-Tor' (Leverkusen - Bayern Munich: presenter laughs at disallowed Bayern goal). This content points to lively media coverage of the team during the pre-season phase.
Another video titled 'Deadline-Day-Kracher: Erste Boniface-Worte an Werder-Fans' (Deadline-Day cracker: First Boniface words to Werder fans) indicates that the transfer market remains a topic for Leverkusen as well. However, the team's focus is now completely on the sporting restart. The injury situation necessitates precise planning. All current league standings and developments of competitors can be tracked on the standings page.
The coming days until the season opener against Union Berlin will be used for final tactical fine-tuning. The return of Moussa Diaby gives training an additional boost. His contribution will be key in determining whether Leverkusen can carry the positive form from the end of the 2025 season into the new campaign.
