When can Florian Wirtz return from injury at the earliest?

Bayer Leverkusen have confirmed that Florian Wirtz will be sidelined for a number of weeks, but how long exactly will the Germany international be out for?

On Monday, Bayer Leverkusen announced that Florian Wirtz will be sidelined for several weeks with an ankle ligament injury. But will it be four, six or even more weeks before he returns to action?

Kicker suggests that the 21-year-old could return in the first half of April at the earliest.

According to the German publication, a stretched ligament can take two to four weeks to heal, while a partial tear can take four to six weeks.

It’s likely that Wirtz has suffered the latter type of injury because Leverkusen needed time for further tests after the initial MRI scan, which wouldn’t have been necessary if the ligaments had been stretched.

This means that in the ideal scenario for Leverkusen, Wirtz will be able to return in the first week of April.

Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso also seemed to hint at this on Monday. 

Speaking at a press conference, he said that Leverkusen want to overturn their 3-0 deficit to Bayern Munich in the last 16 “so that he (Wirtz) can continue to play in the Champions League this season”.

The first legs of the Champions League quarter-finals will be played on 8 and 9 April, with the return legs on 15 and 16 April.