FC Bayern will play on the road against Mainz 05 on Saturday. Aaron Danks could shake up his starting lineup following the win in Madrid, but he has few alternatives.
FC Bayern returns to Bundesliga action on Saturday. On Matchday 9, the German record champions will face 1. FSV Mainz 05 on the road. Kickoff at the MEWA Arena is at 3:30 p.m.
Following their convincing 2-0 win at Atlético Madrid, the Munich side is looking to get back to winning ways in the league. Most recently, Bayern had to settle for a 2-2 draw in the derby against Borussia Dortmund despite taking the lead twice. Aaron Danks continues to stand in for head coach Vincent Kompany, who is out sick.
The personnel situation remains tight, especially on offense. Serge Gnabry, Ismael Saibari, and Luis Díaz are unavailable. Jamal Musiala is also still out. Although the attacking player has returned to team training, Danks says it’s too soon for him to play in Mainz.
Manuel Neuer is expected to start in goal once again. The captain made his comeback in Madrid after sitting out due to foot problems and kept a clean sheet. At Friday’s press conference, Danks provided a positive update: “Manuel Neuer is back in training; things are looking good for the match.” Jonas Urbig would be the alternative.
In the back four, Konrad Laimer is expected to start on the right side. The Austrian impressed against Atlético and scored the goal that sealed the 2-0 victory. Along with Dayot Upamecano, he was one of Munich’s strongest performers. Both received a grade of 1 from FCBinside.
Upamecano is likely to retain his spot in the center of the defense. Alongside him, Minjae Kim could step into the lineup in place of Jonathan Tah. On the left, the case is strong for Josip Stanisic, who had already started in that position in Madrid.
Brown could replace Davies on the left wing
Joshua Kimmich is expected to play in the holding midfield role. Tom Bischof could start alongside him again. The midfielder replaced Aleksandar Pavlovic —who was rested as a precaution —against Atlético and delivered a spirited performance.
Pavlovic has recently been plagued by minor calf issues. Although he has resumed training, the coaching staff must wait to see how he responds to the physical demands before deciding whether to include him in the starting lineup. Bischof would thus once again be an obvious choice in the center of midfield.
Up front, Nathaniel Brown could get his next chance to start. Alphonso Davies has recently filled in on the left wing, but after the intense past few weeks, he is among the candidates for a rest. Ahead of the Mainz game, Danks explicitly spoke about possibly giving the Canadian a break.
Brown could take over his offensive role, while Stanisic occupies the left side of the defense. The German national team player came on for Lennart Karl just over an hour into the match against Atlético and could now move into the starting lineup.
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Karl, on the other hand, is likely to start at the “10” position again. The 18-year-old struggled initially in Madrid but scored the crucial go-ahead goal after halftime. Michael Olise is expected to start on the right wing. Up front, following his contract extension through 2029, there’s hardly any way around Harry Kane.
The options for further changes remain limited. In addition to Davies and Tah, Sacha Boey and Hiroki Ito, among others, could come off the bench. Whether Pavlovic is already an option for the starting lineup again depends on his fitness.
For Mainz, coach Urs Fischer must reshuffle his defense. Stefan Posch is out after receiving a yellow-red card, and Phillipp Mwene is suspended due to his fifth yellow card. Stefan Bell and Rael Nakuzola could start in their place. Fabio Gruber and Silvan Widmer would also be alternatives. Dominik Kohr is out with a syndesmotic injury.