It was not until the middle of the night that Julian Nagelsmann returned home from FC Bayern’s memorable annual general meeting. By midday on Friday, however, the focus was already on preparations for the home match against Arminia Bielefeld – with three surprising returnees and three new absentees.
Serge Gnabry, Jamal Musiala and Michael Cuisance tested negative on Friday and will be allowed to end their domestic quarantine at midnight. As a result, they will be available to coach Julian Nagelsmann against Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday unlike originally assumed.
However, not for the starting eleven after this break, Bayern’s coach emphasised. The same applies to Niklas Süle and Josip Stanisic, who have been training again since midweek but are to be introduced cautiously after their COVID-19 infection
Personnel situation not rosy – Sabitzer also missing at BVB
Three absences ensure that the personnel situation is not so rosy after all. Marcel Sabitzer has a muscular injury to his calf and will be absent for the time being, including next week at Borussia Dortmund. Tanguy Nianzou tore a ligament in his shoulder in Kiev (2:1). However, an operation is not necessary, the joint is stable. Once the Frenchman is pain-free, he can train again. Bouna Sarr is suffering from a minor muscle injury to the adductors.
Nagelsmann on Kimmich: “It’s a strain on him that he can’t play “
Sabitzer would have been an option as a replacement for Joshua Kimmich, who is out due to a Corona infection. Against Bielefeld, Corentin Tolisso is likely to deputise for him again, but for Dortmund there is an additional alternative: Musiala. “It’s not his best position, but I definitely trust him. Maybe tomorrow there will be the option to have a look at it,” Nagelsmann hinted at the 18-year-old’s wild card role.
At the same time, Nagelsmann regretted not having tested this earlier, especially as Musiala had been convincing after his substitution against Augsburg (1:2), also in the game without the ball. With Kimmich, on the other hand, it is annoying that he is missing. “It’s a burden on him that he can’t play,” said Nagelsmann.
Bielefeld defended sacrificially and with great passion, there is definitely a parallel here with Augsburg.
The coach rates opponents Bielefeld stronger than in the previous season, “they defend sacrificially and with great passion, there is definitely a parallel to Augsburg here.” That’s why Nagelsmann says: “It’s an extremely important game because we’re only one point ahead.” He named Klos, Okugawa and Vasiliadis as key players at Arminia.
Defeats against clubs from the bottom half
Caution is also called for from a sporting point of view: FC Bayern has already lost twice this season against a team from the lower half of the table. The last time this happened so often was in 2010/11, when Eintracht Frankfurt were listed in 14th place before Bayern’s 1:2, and FC Augsburg were even in 16th place a week ago. Moreover, the number 13 does not seem to bring any luck to the record champions, who have already lost 15 times on this matchday, the last time being two years ago when they lost 1-2 against Bayer Leverkusen. On no other matchday did the Munich team lose more often than on the previous one.
The ratio has been abandoned. Emotions are not always the perfect means of finding solutions to problems.
There were also losers at the emotionally-finished AGM, which showed a deep rift between the Presidium/Board and a small section of the membership present, especially over the sponsorship of Qatar Airways. “Both sides need to work out to find a better framework. These are important issues, the ratio has been abandoned. And emotions are not always the perfect means to find solutions to problems,” Nagelsmann said. Against Bielefeld, however, he explicitly wants these emotions. On the pitch, for three points.