A particular squad strength as a way out, a chance for a pre-season winner? Bayern Munich’s personnel situation is coming to a dramatic head
At Bayern Munich, one personnel setback follows another. Aaron Danks must improvise, benefiting from the versatility of many players, and could turn to a player who emerged as a winner in pre-season. At the same time, a predictable debate is flaring up.
The fixture list has shown Bayern Munich no mercy. Several players suffered injuries during their 2-2 draw with Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga's top match. Next up on Tuesday are Atletico Madrid, one of Europe's toughest sides. After draws with Viking Stavanger and Arsenal, Bayern badly need a win in their fight to qualify directly for the Champions League round of 16.
Attack has taken the hardest hit: four of the seven established first-team players are definitely out, while one is doubtful. Luis Diaz (muscle bundle tear) is unlikely to return until the end of November, while Jamal Musiala (muscle fibre tear) should make his comeback next Saturday against FSV Mainz 05. Ismael Saibari and Serge Gnabry both had to come off in the first half against Dortmund, and Bayern Munich announced their diagnoses on Sunday.
Saibari suffered a tear of the syndesmosis ligament in his right ankle and is likely to be out for three months. Gnabry sustained a muscle injury in the back of his left thigh and is expected to be sidelined for one to two months. Michael Olise also came off against Dortmund because of an injury concern (knee problems). Bayern Munich gave no update on him, and his availability against Atletico is doubtful.
If Olise is out too, that leaves only centre-forward Harry Kane, who struggled against Dortmund and even missed a penalty, and Lennart Karl, who is currently the subject of heated debate. Karl missed a chance to win the match against Dortmund in stoppage time and is searching for form.
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Two places would then remain in Bayern's 4-2-3-1 attack. Interim head coach Aaron Danks is likely to use players who are nominally defenders. Alphonso Davies could start on the left wing, with Nathaniel Brown or Tom Bischof in the No 10 role.
Bayern Munich can draw on the versatility of their squad while numbers are so thin. Max Eberl and the club's sporting management can feel vindicated by their transfer policy in that respect, as can the coaching staff for regularly trying players in different positions. None of the proposed roles would be new to Davies, Brown or Bischof. Konrad Laimer offers another example: with Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlovic absent, he recently played in central midfield, excelled at right-back against Dortmund and can also play on the left.
Despite the absences, Bayern should still be able to put together a reasonably strong starting XI against Atletico. Danks would have little room to react, though, whether to injuries or to the way the match develops. Depending on the starting line-up, his established options from the bench would be Bischof or Brown, defenders Hiroki Ito, Sacha Boey and Jonathan Tah or Min-Jae Kim. Prospects David Santos Daiber and Tim Binder have also regularly made the squad recently.
Danks might also recall one of pre-season's lesser-known success stories and bring Bastian Assomo into the squad. Still only 16, the centre-forward caught the eye with performances that were remarkably mature yet refreshing, and even scored twice. On Saturday, Assomo struck twice in the club's reserve side's wild 5-5 draw against TSV Landsberg. He has yet to make the first-team squad this season, but would at least offer an intriguing option from the bench.
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Goalkeeper Jonas Urbig also emerged from the Dortmund match with an injury concern. After his collision with Carney Chukwuemeka, Urbig "didn't exactly look as though he was going to a wedding", according to Eberl. Meanwhile, first-choice goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is at least hoping to make his comeback against Atletico. "I hope so," he said as he left the arena.
Those absences prompted debate after the Dortmund match about Bayern's small squad and whether the club should add players in the winter. Chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen said the question had come "too early". Eberl added: "It's not as though five players are now out for half a year." He did not want to tempt fate, though, and promptly knocked his fist against his forehead for good luck. Besides, the club deliberately opted for a small squad to give their young players a chance to make a major breakthrough. Last season it was Karl. Now perhaps Binder, Daiber Santos or Assomo.
Kane can even see a positive in the timing: "It's better that it happens now than in March or April. Of course, you hope it never happens. But you know from the history of football that injuries keep happening." With all the bad luck Bayern Munich have had lately, perhaps they are building up a reserve of good fortune for the decisive phase of the season. Injuries have not been their only setbacks. Coach Vincent Kompany has suffered meningeal irritation, while Kimmich's father has died.
