Harm-hit Bayern Munich journey to Copenhagen on Tuesday within the Champions League, dealing with a depth drawback which is successfully of their very own making.
Accidents stored first-teamers Serge Gnabry and Matthijs de Ligt out of Bayern’s 2-2 draw at RB Leipzig. Gnabry will miss weeks with a damaged arm whereas De Ligt additionally appears set to overlook Tuesday’s match.
Mix the duo’s absence with harm clouds hovering above remaining centre-backs Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae and the Bayern hierarchy could start to know supervisor Thomas Tuchel’s persistent complaints a few lack of depth in his squad.
Bayern stay undefeated within the league, German Cup and Champions League this season, however have made a behavior of conceding objectives in opposition to higher sides.
The German champions have conceded three in conferences with RB Leipzig and Manchester United up to now this season, together with two in opposition to league leaders Bayer Leverkusen and once more in opposition to Leipzig.
Whereas Bayern make Tuesday’s journey to Copenhagen as robust favourites, it’s the sort of midweek fixture that may take a look at their depth as they hope to battle for all trophies on supply this season.
‘We’ll see’
Regardless of a switch window which introduced England captain Harry Kane, Serie A defender of the yr Kim and Konrad Laimer to Munich, Bayern allowed a number of gamers to depart in the summertime.
The checklist of exits included France defenders Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez, midfielders Ryan Gravenberch and Marcel Sabitzer and right-back Josip Stanisic.
After the window shut in early September, Tuchel described his squad as “a bit skinny, a bit small” saying it was “thinner than earlier than (the window closed)”.
A pissed off Tuchel informed Germany’s Sky community “it’s a brave squad composition. We’ll see if it’s sufficient for the membership’s objectives this season.”
Complaining a few lack of depth is hardly uncommon for managers and particularly for Bayern managers.
Tuchel’s predecessors Hansi Flick and Julian Nagelsmann made comparable complaints throughout their tenures — and any switch window the place a membership lands Kane and Kim must be seen as at the very least partially a hit.
Nonetheless the best way wherein Bayern allowed the closing of the window to sneak up on them provides some substance to Tuchel’s complaints.
Fulham’s Joao Palhinha was in Munich having photos taken in a Bayern shirt on deadline day, however wanted to fly again to London after the deal fell by.
Stanisic, a neighborhood junior who had been getting increasingly more sport time, was allowed to depart for rivals Bayer Leverkusen, who now sit first within the Bundesliga desk, with Bayern third.
Like Stanisic, Pavard — a wing-back who stated he needed to depart except he was performed at centre-back — additionally left and not using a alternative.
Tuchel admitted in September “we wouldn’t have let Stani (Stanisic) go if we had recognized about Benji leaving”, regardless of the 2018 World Cup winner having pushed for a switch for weeks.
Accidents to De Ligt, Kim and Upamecano pressured Tuchel to pick midfielder Leon Goretzka and wing-back Noussair Mazraoui in central defence in Bayern’s 4-0 German Cup win over Preussen Muenster final Tuesday, an added irony contemplating Pavard’s acknowledged positional goals.
Boateng again?
Bayern’s depth considerations had been greatest illustrated on Sunday, when former centre-back Jerome Boateng was seen coaching with the facet forward of a doable return.
Boateng received the 2013 and 2020 Champions League titles with Bayern however was deemed surplus to necessities in the summertime of 2021 and allowed to depart totally free.
Bayern introduced Boateng’s return to coaching on their web site, with German media indicating the membership needed to see if the 2014 World Cup winner would be capable of return to the squad.
Relegated to the bench final season, Boateng performed simply eight matches with Lyon and is more likely to function little greater than a back-up in Tuchel’s facet ought to he re-sign.
Bayern captain Joshua Kimmich tried to place a constructive spin on the state of affairs after the Leipzig draw on Saturday, saying “it may be a bonus generally when the squad is a bit smaller, as a result of everyone seems to be required and everyone seems to be necessary.”
“It’s nonetheless the case with us that we’ve acquired gamers on the bench we will herald to alter the sport.”
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