Kasper Hjulmand explained Ezequiel Fernandez’s absence from Bayer Leverkusen’s squad against Koln was due to a disciplinary issue.
Leverkusen won the derby 2-1 on Saturday, with Patrik Schick scoring twice.
The Czech striker has now netted 100 goals for Leverkusen in all competitions, with 77 of those coming in the Bundesliga.
However, a notable absentee was Fernandez, who has played 19 Bundesliga games this term, with all of those being starts, though he has only featured for only 982 minutes.
And Hjulmand said that was down to an off-field issue.
“It was a disciplinary situation. We talked about it. I spoke with Equi a lot. Sometimes it’s also a cultural issue,” Hjulmand told BILD.
“It’s just a question of understanding. It was normal that there would be consequences, which is why he wasn’t in the squad.
“He knows the situation. The right response will be for him to return to the squad. That’s the situation.”
HUGE! pic.twitter.com/UqeGo62ajv
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) April 25, 2026
Leverkusen’s victory keeps them in the fight for Champions League qualification – they are just two points off the top four.
Hoffenheim occupy fourth spot, with their 2-1 win over Hamburg having ensured a place in Europe at least for next term.
But Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann has set his sights high.
“We’ve laid a fantastic foundation, made the step up to Europe, and now we want to achieve the maximum,” he said.
“We got off to a very good start and didn’t let ourselves be distracted by the loud, fantastic atmosphere in the stadium.
“We didn’t let the goal we conceded throw us off course either; we stuck together. The lads have once again shown their character; they’ve got an extremely good work ethic.
“They’re hungry. You can see on the pitch how much they put in. It’s really, really good how things have developed.”
Opta’s supercomputer is expecting Stuttgart to finish ahead of Hoffenheim, with Leverkusen forecasted to finish sixth.