FC Bayern may have to prepare for a longer absence of Konrad Laimer. After the German record champions officially announced the diagnosis on Thursday, there are now increasing reports about the possible duration of the forced break. It is already clear that the 28-year-old will be sorely missed by Vincent Kompany in the coming weeks
Laimer suffered a torn muscle fibre in his left calf during Munich’s 3-1 away win at 1. FC Köln on Wednesday evening. The injury occurred in stoppage time after a collision with an opponent. As the substitution quota had already been exhausted, FC Bayern had to finish the game short-handed. Immediately after the final whistle, Kompany hinted that the Austrian could have been „hit harder“
Initial assessment of the duration of the injury
FC Bayern left it open as to how long Laimer will actually be absent. The press release only mentioned a „temporary“ absence. External assessments are now becoming more concrete. According to BILD, the Austrian international will have to take around three weeks off. Skyeven considers an absence of three to four weeks to be possible
If this forecast is confirmed, Laimer could be facing a break of up to eight competitive games in the worst case scenario. That would be a huge blow for FC Bayern – not only because of the quantity of games, but above all because of the role Laimer plays in Vincent Kompany’s system
Tight program, thin options
In the Bundesliga alone, there are several demanding fixtures between now and mid-February, including clashes with RB Leipzig, FC Augsburg, Hamburger SV, TSG Hoffenheim and Werder Bremen, as well as two Champions League games against Union St. Gilloise and PSV Eindhoven and the DFB Cup match against RB Leipzig. A tight program in which Laimer was actually firmly scheduled
The Austrian footballer has been one of the most consistent players in the squad this season. He played 16 Bundesliga games in the first half of the season and appeared in all possible matches in the Champions League and DFB Cup. Laimer has also scored ten goals so far – a figure that underlines his importance beyond pure defensive work
Particularly explosive: Laimer’s absence hits FC Bayern at a time when alternatives in his position are scarce anyway. Josip Stanisic and Sacha Boey, the regular right-backs, are missing through injury, meaning Vincent Kompany is once again forced to improvise.
