Bayern Munich, news and rumours: regular starting place for star new signing under threat? FCB may soon be able to rely on a key player again

Serge Gnabry is getting ever fitter and could, with his return, displace one of Bayern's star new signings from the starting XI. Meanwhile, there is a good omen ahead of the Champions League opener. The news and rumours surrounding FCB.

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Bayern Munich, rumour: Could Saibari soon have to make way for Gnabry?

Serge Gnabry could soon be fully available again to Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany.

Last week, the 31-year-old had already started to rejoin team training with his team-mates. At the start of the new week, he also completed all the drills and looked physically sharp. On that basis, his comeback does not seem far away.

Gnabry has been out since April and missed both Bayern's run-in at the end of the season and the World Cup with the German national team because of an adductor injury. According to Bild, he could now be an option for the squad for Thursday's Champions League opener against Bodö/Glimt.

A place in the starting XI still looks unlikely for now. According to the Bild report, though, that could soon change, with Ismael Saibari the man who could lose his regular spot.

Signed from PSV Eindhoven last summer for an alleged fee of just under €55 million including bonuses, the new Bayern arrival recently started both the 4-1 DFB Cup win against VfL Osnabrück and the 0-0 draw away to promoted Bundesliga side Schalke 04. He was taken off after around half an hour in both matches.

He still managed two goal involvements as a substitute in the Bundesliga opener against VfB Stuttgart (5-1), but has not registered a direct goal contribution since. Most recently, he came in for heavy criticism from former Bayern professional Dietmar Hamann. According to the Sky expert, the Moroccan is a "wonderful footballer", but: "He is too slow. He's not just not quick, he's like a poor Kane. Kane is not the quickest and now his back-up is not the quickest either."

Hamann also expects Saibari to struggle to keep his place once Gnabry returns: "They say Saibari can play four positions - I say he can play exactly one position: that is behind Kane, because out wide he is too slow," said Hamann in his analysis, though in the No 10 role he sees "Serge Gnabry a class better" than the Reds' new signing.

Bayern Munich, news: Referee confirmed for Champions League opener

Bayern begin their latest push for the big trophy on Thursday at the Allianz Arena, and the new Champions League season opens with a good omen: Rade Obrenovic will referee the match against Bodö/Glimt.

The Slovenian has taken charge of a match involving the German record champions only once in his career. Last season, he was the man in the middle for the 2-0 win against Union Saint-Gilloise. That victory sent Bayern into the round of 16.

In that game, Obrenovic gave Bayern two penalties, one of which Harry Kane converted and one of which he missed. He also sent off Min-Jae Kim for a second yellow card. All the decisions were justifiable.

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