The personnel situation at FC Bayern is getting worse and worse. Following the 2-2 draw against Borussia Dortmund, FC Bayern must cope with further absences. The offense, in particular, has been hit hard by the current injury crisis. Nevertheless, interim coach Aaron Danks is looking ahead with great confidence to the upcoming Champions League match against Atlético Madrid.
The Munich team was hit particularly hard in the Bundesliga classic. Within just a few minutes, Ismael Saibari and Serge Gnabry had to be substituted due to injury in the first half alone. In the closing stages, Michael Olise became yet another injured attacking player.
So the injury list has grown longer. The diagnoses for Gnabry and Saibari are now in, and both will be out for an extended period. Jamal Musiala and Luis Díaz are already unavailable to the record champions. Captain Manuel Neuer is also currently sidelined due to injury. With the crucial away match against Atlético Madrid just around the corner, the Munich team is increasingly running out of options.
Danks: “We’ll be ready on Tuesday.”
After the Dortmund game, Danks was asked what impact the numerous injuries would have on the upcoming Champions League match.
However, Kompany’s stand-in refused to let the tense personnel situation rattle him. “I understand the question, but I also think we have a very exciting game ahead of us,” the Englishman explained after the final whistle.
Instead of complaining about the missing players, Danks pointed to the options available within the Munich squad. “We have quality and depth in our squad. Other players will step up for us, but this is an exciting opportunity for us.”
The 41-year-old made it clear that, despite the setbacks, Bayern by no means intend to travel to Madrid with a defensive mindset. “We’re looking forward to it, we’ll tackle the challenge head-on, and we’ll be ready on Tuesday,” Danks emphasized with determination.
Bayern Must Improvise Against Atlético
The interim coach’s statements send a clear message to the team. Despite the tense situation, FC Bayern intends to stay the course.
However, fielding a lineup against Atlético Madrid is likely to be a real challenge. The options are now severely limited, especially on offense. If Olise is sidelined in addition to Saibari and Gnabry—which is not yet certain—only two of the seven established offensive players, Harry Kane and Lennart Karl, would be available.
Karl, in particular, could therefore play an important role on Tuesday. The 18-year-old didn’t come on until the closing stages of the match against Dortmund, but nearly secured the victory with a shot off the crossbar in stoppage time.
Alphonso Davies and Nathaniel Brown could also be deployed in more attacking positions again. Both were already used against BVB as alternatives for the injured forwards.
For Danks, the difficult personnel situation is yet another test. The Englishman continues to stand in for the ailing Vincent Kompany and now has to compensate for several absences—of all times—ahead of a challenging Champions League away game.
At least the Munich team can build on their record so far this season. Despite all the setbacks, the German record champions remain undefeated.
Whether this streak will hold up in Madrid remains to be seen on Tuesday. Danks, in any case, makes it clear that Bayern has no intention of letting their injury woes intimidate them.