Dutch-Ghanaian winger Ernest Poku striving to return to top form at Bayer Leverkusen

Ernest Poku has recently found himself in an unusual position at Bayer Leverkusen, swapping his regular starting role for more time on the bench as he looks to rediscover his momentum.

After weeks of almost constant starts across all competitions, the Dutch-Ghanaian winger has not started any of the last four competitive matches, coming on only as a late substitute in some and missing out entirely in one.

Before the game against St. Pauli, coach Kasper Hjulmand downplayed any suggestion that Poku’s importance had decreased.

“Players are human. It’s completely normal over a season to search for momentum in games,” he explained, stressing that Poku still brings valuable qualities with his pace and runs in behind.

Tactically, Hjulmand even sees advantages in using him as an impact player: “Sometimes I like to have Poku’s speed and deep runs in the final minutes, maybe in the second half,” he said, again highlighting how decisive the closing stages can be.

The coach insists Poku remains “super for us and for the team,” even if he has lately been “searching for his best game.”

For Hjulmand, this is simply part of a normal cycle that every player goes through. His clear message is that, despite recent time on the bench, Poku still enjoys his full trust and remains a serious option both from the start and as a game-changing substitute.

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