The Super Eagles striker has played five Bundesliga minutes this season and was left unused again against Mainz.
Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface reportedly walked down the tunnel to the dressing room during Leverkusen's 4-3 Bundesliga win over Mainz on Saturday. He was still unused when Leverkusen head coach Carles Martínez made his final substitutions in the 84th minute, bringing on Equi Fernández and Jonas Hofmann for Aleix García and the Czech striker Patrik Schick.
Boniface has made one Bundesliga appearance this season: five minutes in the opening-day 3-2 defeat to SV Elversberg, in which he provided an assist for Christian Kofane. He was then left out against Union Berlin, Leipzig and Mainz, and was not in the squad against Augsburg.
Martínez said he had missed the walkout while play was underway, but vowed to talk with the striker about it. "If that's what happened, we'll speak to him," Martínez told Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, saying team selection is simply part of football.
Sporting director Simon Rolfes took a lighter tone but made the club's position clear. "Perhaps he went into the dressing room a little too early today. It won't happen next time," Rolfes said. He also spoke well of Boniface's better condition and professionalism, calling him a positive presence in both the squad and the training group.
Before the Mainz game, Martínez had said Boniface remained an option and could be considered if Schick needed a rest or had to be substituted, Yahoo Sports reported. When Schick went off in the 84th minute, Hofmann came on instead. Leverkusen have since won consecutive Bundesliga games against RB Leipzig and Mainz, moving into fourth place with ten points, according to Yahoo Sports.
Boniface also posted a cryptic message on his X account:
Christian Kofane is injured, and Yahoo Sports reported that he faces several weeks on the sidelines with a thigh injury. That could leave Boniface with more of a chance to improve his standing in the attack.
Leverkusen face Lech Poznań in the Europa League on Thursday, another chance for Boniface to convince Martínez that he deserves more playing time.
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