FC Bayern’s current fully fit squad is making for tough decisions. What is often considered a desirable situation during the season is increasingly becoming a real luxury problem under Vincent Kompany – with noticeable consequences for established names. After Minjae Kim, the next Bayern star could now be affected
As the Munich newspaper tz reports, Kompany is planning to rotate more in the coming weeks as long as he has the full squad at his disposal. The background to this is the reduced number of games in February. With fewer games, players inevitably have to be completely removed from the matchday squad. This was the case with Kim recently – and now Leon Goretzka is coming into focus
The midfielder is considered a hot candidate for a place in the stands, possibly as early as Wednesday in the DFB Cup quarter-final against RB Leipzig. Following the official decision to leave the club in the summer, Goretzka has not played a single match recently. However, this is not solely due to his future decision, but above all due to the current competitive situation
Kompany explicitly defended Goretzka after the 5-1 win against Hoffenheim and put his situation in perspective: „As I said before, we have fewer games at the moment. The competition for places is and remains our strength. We have confidence in Leon and the other players. We have to get through this month and achieve our goals, and then we will need every player in March and April,“ explained the Bayern coach. There are clear reasons why Goretzka is currently on the sidelines: „Leon’s situation is a consequence of the fact that we have a fully fit squad. We trust Leon 100 per cent that he will be there when his moment comes.“
Kim left out of the squad against Hoffenheim
The situation is very reminiscent of the Minjae Kim situation. The centre-back surprisingly did not make the matchday squad against Hoffenheim – a decision that sporting director Max Eberl also justified with the squad density. With only 20 places allowed, Kompany has to make week-to-week decisions that say nothing about a player’s form or value
For Goretzka, this means that even without a sporting crisis or loss of form, a place in the stands is no longer taboo. The competition is more intense than ever before, and Kompany is consciously using this situation to maintain freshness, balance and tactical flexibility
It remains to be seen whether Goretzka will actually play against Leipzig, but one thing is clear: there is currently no guarantee of a place in the FC Bayern squad – not even for experienced internationals.
