Victor Boniface said he is delighted to return to the pitch again after spending around two months on the sidelines. Boniface sustained a thigh injury on international duty last November. The 24-year-old scored in his first game for Bayer Leverkusen since recovering from the injury against TSG Hoffenheim on Sunday.

Bayer Leverkusen has kept pace with Bundesliga leader Bayern Munich by beating Hoffenheim 3-1 with goals from Victor Boniface, Patrik Schick and Jeremie Frimpong.

Bayer Leverkusen move onto 45 points, six behind leaders Bayern Munich after 20 matches, while Hoffenheim remain 15th, just four points above the drop zone