The hits just keep coming for Bayern Munich…
Just when Bayern Munich thought it was outside the wrath of the injury gods, those dastardly entities pulled the Bavarians back in.
Manuel Neuer, Alphonso Davies, Dayot Upamecano, Hiroki Itō, Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala, and Josip Stanišić were just some of the players who missed time this season due to injuries, but all eventually all came back (at least for a bit).
Now, though, things are a lot worse.
March started with having to worry about Kane and his balky calf, but it is ending with a calf issue for Neuer that took a turn for the worse (timeline for return not official), an ACL tear for Davies (out for the season), and a knee issue for Upamecano (expected to miss six-to-seven weeks after surgery). None of that even includes the foot injury for Jonas Urbig, who has — allegedly — moved past the issue.
Just a day ago, Bayern Munich CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen indicated that Davies’ injury was not serious. Now, that assessment is known to be way off-base. Bild (via @iMiaSanMia) detailed why Dreesen sounded so ill-informed:
Dreesen made his statement yesterday after the first reports he got from Canada that Davies didn’t suffer a major injury. But once the player returned to Munich, he underwent new detailed scans purely as a precautionary measure, only to find out that he sustained a torn ACL.
March madness, indeed.
In that instance, Dreesen can likely be given a pass given the timing of everything, but probably would have been better served not saying less (a theme for the week given how he handled Giulia Gwinn’s criticism of team execs).
Anyway, Bayern Munich has dealt with adversity at times this season, but nothing like this, which is now happening during the most crucial part of the season.
If you are the “glass half-full” type, Bayern Munich has capable options. At left-back, Hiroki Itō, Raphael Guerreiro, and Josip Stanišić can all help fill the void (though none can replace what Davies brings to the table). At center-back, Eric Dier, Stanišić, and Itō can all help step in for Upamecano, who will be very difficult to fully cover for. In addition, Leon Goretzka could be called upon to play in the central defense as well.
There are options.
As for Neuer, the injury, Urbig will have to step up and be “the man” until Neuer is healthy enough to return.
Hopefully, there is a Cinderella story for this group of replacements as they strive to fill-in for a few players who many regard as irreplaceable. If not, it will end up as yet another season where Bayern Munich saw its bracket busted by untimely injuries.
Looking to unpack your feelings on Bayern Munich’s latest injury crisis? Check out the Bavarian Podcast Works — Emergency Edition, which covers the season ending injury to Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano’s long-term issue as well. You can get the show on Patreon, Spotify, or below:
Be sure to stay tuned to Bavarian Podcast Works for all of your up to date coverage on Bayern Munich and Germany. Check us out on Patreon and follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @BavarianPodcast @TheBarrelBlog, @BFWCyler, @IredahlMarcus, @2012nonexistent, @TommyAdams71 and more.
