Chicharito Must Improve His Game – Rudi Voller

Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez has been told to step up his game by Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller having failed to score a goal since October.

Hernandez, 28, is set to reunite with the rest of the Leverkusen squad after the winter break when they land in Orlando, Florida, on Tuesday afternoon.

Following an impressive return of 33 goals in his first 48 competitive appearances for the German side, the Mexico international has failed to find the back of the net in his previous 15 matches, last scoring in the 2-0 defeat of Borussia Dortmund on Oct. 1.

“Chicharito now needs to show more. He knows best that he needs to step up his game,” Voller told Bild.

Voller added that he believes insecurity over his girlfriend’s health amplified Hernandez’s problems on the pitch.

He said: “It was a burden on him that his girlfriend wasn’t feeling too well, but we’ll definitely see a different Chicharito again.”

In recent weeks, there has been speculation that Leverkusen could allow the striker to move on if a club were to bid at least €30 million for a player who is under contract until 2018.

Voller does not expect a club to come forward, saying: “I can’t imagine it. We need a good and functioning Chicharito.”

Elsewhere, kicker reported on Tuesday that Robbie Kruse has not made the trip to Florida after his agent and Leverkusen agreed that the attacker can look at offers from China and Major League Soccer.

Kruse has only appeared in three matches for Leverkusen this term and is widely expected to leave Germany five-and-half years after joining Fortuna Dusseldorf from Melbourne Victory in the summer of 2011.