There’s good news coming out of the FC Bayern women’s team camp. Lena Oberdorf and Giulia Gwinn are apparently close to returning to the field. Both national team players could make their season debuts as early as Monday against 1. FSV Mainz 05.
Ahead of the match, coach José Barcala suggested that they might at least get some initial playing time. At the same time, the Spaniard is urging caution—especially given the long injury layoffs of these two key players.
“Giulia and Lena may be back,” Barcala said ahead of the match against Mainz. However, a final decision has not yet been made. The Bayern women still have two training sessions scheduled before the match.
“But we still have to get through the next two training sessions; we need to be cautious,” the coach emphasized. At the same time, Barcala held out the prospect of “the first minutes of the season” for Oberdorf and Gwinn.
For FC Bayern, the return of these two stars would be a significant step. Both Oberdorf and Gwinn missed the start of the season and could now provide an extra boost of quality to the roster.
A Long Struggle for Oberdorf
Lena Oberdorf’s potential return is a particularly significant moment. Last October, just 50 days after her initial comeback, the midfielder suffered another torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee.
FC Bayern is likely to take a cautious approach with the 24-year-old. After such a long injury layoff, the focus isn’t immediately on full-intensity training. Instead, Oberdorf is to be gradually reintroduced to competition.
Giulia Gwinn has also been sidelined for an extended period recently. The outside back underwent shoulder surgery in May and has been out of action ever since. As a result, she missed both the Super Cup match against VfL Wolfsburg and the Bundesliga opener at Union Berlin.
Whether Oberdorf and Gwinn will actually take the field against Mainz will therefore only be decided at the last minute. One thing is clear, however: the two key players are back in the mix with the team and could soon make their first competitive appearances of the new season.