Official: Victor Boniface ruled out of 2025/26 season due to injury

Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface has been ruled out for the rest of the 2025/2026 season due to a serious knee injury, Soccernet.ng reports.

​Boniface has been battling the injury since last December, an issue that kept him out of action for Werder Bremen's final two games of 2025.

​It was later revealed that it was a knee cartilage problem which had been there since last summer.

But the striker had failed to address the issue at the time, believing it would either improve or at least not get worse.

According to recent reports, the Nigeria international had to stop playing in December because the knee cartilage had gotten damaged.

​Upon the initial diagnosis in December, Boniface was advised to undergo surgery immediately. However, he opted to seek a second opinion from a specialist.

Following his return from the Christmas break in Nigeria, he traveled to Austria for further consultation. The appointment, originally scheduled for January 7, was pushed to January 8 due to harsh weather conditions in the region.

​Following Boniface's meeting with the specialist, Werder Bremen have now confirmed that he must undergo surgery in the coming days to correct the damage.

 

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This procedure will take a long time to recover from, which means he won't be able to play again this season.

Due to the current situation, Boniface's loan deal at Werder Bremen will likely be cut short, with the striker expected to return to his parent club Bayer Leverkusen.

Friends With Adversity: Yet Another Setback For Victor Boniface

For much of Victor Boniface’s career, he has been no stranger to adversity. By the age of 21, he had already endured two grueling anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.

In previous interviews, he has recounted how he nearly walked away from football altogether because of his injuries.

​However, he bounced back with resilience. During his time at the Norwegian club Bodø/Glimt, his form returned, and after two impressive seasons, he earned a move to Royale Union Saint-Gilloise.

​He spent just one season in Belgium before making a high-profile move to Bayer Leverkusen.

In his debut season in Germany, he was nothing short of brilliant, racking up goals and assists. At one point, he was even competing with Harry Kane for the Bundesliga Golden Boot, but he lost his momentum due to injuries. Despite this, Die Werkself eventually went on to secure their historic first-ever Bundesliga title.

​Last summer, amid a wave of personnel changes at Bayer Leverkusen, Boniface was on the verge of a move to Serie A giants AC Milan.

However, the deal reportedly collapsed because the Italian club was hesitant to commit given his history of fitness issues. That created an opportunity for Werder Bremen to swoop in and secure his services.

​He was expected to take the Weserstadion by storm this season, but unfortunately, those plans have been derailed by injuries again.

“God Knows Why” – Boniface Expresses Frustration

Following the announcement of his injury layoff, Boniface, who is very active on social media, wrote on X, “Been putting fake smile for almost a year. But God knows why all this is happening, Grateful to God.”

From his post, it is clear that the 25-year-old striker is frustrated with his current situation, as it is definitely a big blow for him.

Boniface still has two years left on his contract, so his future is secure to an extent. But he will be hoping to return to action as soon as possible.