Joshua Kimmich missed FC Bayern’s midweek match against Arsenal due to a death in the family. Afterward, it was unclear whether the midfielder would be able to return to the lineup for Sunday’s match against SC Freiburg.
FC Bayern emphasized that they stand behind the player and that he should take all the time he needs to come to terms with this sad news.
For this reason, the club did not provide a timeline for when the national team player might return to action for the record champions. That decision rests entirely with the player himself.
Kimmich will also miss the Freiburg match
According to Sky, a decision has now been made. Kimmich will still not be part of the record champions’ roster for Sunday’s top match. As was the case against Arsenal, Aleksandar Pavlović and Tom Bischof are expected to start in central midfield. Both performed well against the English champions after a period of adjustment.
The match against Freiburg is hugely important for the record champions, as the race at the top of the Bundesliga table is tight. After the game against Freiburg, BVB awaits in the next league match. Whether Kimmich will be able to return to the lineup by then remains unclear at this point.
Manuel Neuer is also at risk of missing another game. The goalkeeper was able to return to action in the Champions League against the Gunners after previously missing two matches due to injury. On Friday, however, the Bayern keeper was absent from the Munich team’s training session. It is not yet known whether this was merely a precautionary measure or if Neuer is experiencing problems again.
Should the experienced goalkeeper be unable to play, he will once again be replaced by Jonas Urbig, who has been in good form recently, including in the big match against RB Leipzig (6-1). In any case, the future belongs to Urbig; he is set to become the number one goalkeeper at FC Bayern starting in the summer of 2027.
