The already thin Bayern squad, which has been decimated by numerous injuries, has added three professionals this winter transfer period – but there is still the threat of an additional personnel shortage for the top match at Bayer Leverkusen
It is certainly debatable whether the yellow cards for Matthijs de Ligt and Leroy Sané in the away game in Augsburg (3:2) were justified. In any case, they were in line with the line taken by referee Christian Dingert, who handed out the cautions a little pettily as the game progressed – on both sides. Now it is what it is. Lamenting is useless. The only thing that is clear is that Sané and de Ligt need to watch out.
Both Bayern professionals have now received four yellow cards. The next one, the fifth, automatically means a ban, which would hit FC Bayern extremely hard this time. Should Sané or de Ligt, or both, see yellow, they would have to watch next week’s top match in Leverkusen. Both would be very difficult to replace right now
Coach Thomas Tuchel has significantly more options in attack – especially after the early transfer of Bryan Zaragoza, who arrives in Munich six months early from FC Granada. With Jamal Musiala, Mathys Tel, Thomas Müller and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, there would still be four more attackers (for the three positions behind Harry Kane) in the FCB squad. Serge Gnabry (recovery training) and Kingsley Coman (inner ligament tear) are both still out
It would be problematic in defense
It would be problematic in defense. Dayot Upamecano (muscle injury) will probably need another two weeks before his comeback; Min-Jae Kim’s return depends on this Friday’s match. If South Korea beat Australia in the quarter-finals, the defender would still be with the national team until February 12. That would leave only Eric Dier as a trained central defender. Leon Goretzka would then probably have to help out in the center of defense again – which would have further consequences, however.
After all, his place in midfield would have to be reassigned. The problem: Konrad Laimer will certainly miss the summit clash due to a torn muscle bundle, while it is difficult to predict how long Joshua Kimmich (shoulder injury) will be out of action. That leaves Aleksander Pavlovic and Raphael Guerreiro as the only options for a double-six. Musiala and Müller could form a double eight in an emergency – with a sole six.
Yes, all of this is a lot of “what ifs”. But to avoid all that, Sané and de Ligt should be extremely careful
