"He knows the situation" – Hjulmand on Equi Fernandez's disciplinary lapse

The Argentine clearly broke a rule within the Leverkusen camp, resulting in his omission from the squad against 1.FC Köln

Photo: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images.

Bayer Leverkusen claimed a 2-1 derby victory in Köln, eagle-eyed fans of the visitors noticed one player's name was absent from the squad. 

Speaking after the game, Kasper Hjulmand revealed that midfielder Equi Fernández was left in the cold after some off-field trouble.

“It was a disciplinary situation. We talked about it. I spoke with Equi a lot. Sometimes it's also a cultural issue," the Leverkusen coach 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," the 54-year-old added. 

Between injuries and poor form, the 23-year-old has largely struggled in his first season at Leverkusen with just 982 Bundesliga minutes played.