Bayern Munich Before Clash with Inter Milan: Injury Problems - So What?! Why Do Kompany and Co. Remain Optimistic?
FC Bayern Munich is facing a significant shortage of players, especially at this crucial stage of the season. After half of the defense was transferred to a Munich hospital due to serious injuries, the well-known attacking player Jamal Musiala had to deal with a recent setback. But coach Vincent Kompany is "not in the mood for complaining!" And that's right.
Alphonso Davies (torn cruciate ligament), Dayot Upamecano (joint capsule irritation in the knee), and Hiroki Ito (metatarsal fracture) are suffering from serious injuries, and Kompany recently had to do without Manuel Neuer (calf muscle), Aleksandar Pavlović (glandular fever), and Kingsley Coman (irritation in the foot).
And now, to top it all off, Musiala, the creative mind and exceptional talent, is out before the decisive weeks, which will begin with the Champions League clash against Inter Milan (Tuesday, 9 p.m. CET live on TV) and the Bundesliga encounter with Borussia Dortmund (Saturday, 6:30 p.m. CET live on TV). The record German champions are suffering from a lack of players – reason enough to be sad, or so I thought.
Müller Becomes Important
"The injuries we are currently suffering from are shocking," said substitute captain Joshua Kimmich into the "DAZN" microphone after the Augsburg game, before immediately switching to a state of determined optimism: "Everyone in the team realizes that they are needed. Everyone has to work hard and wait for their chance, and everyone will get it."
Above all, Thomas Müller, around whom everything recently revolved due to the end of his era at Bayern Munich, is likely to move into central midfield after Musiala's absence. A circumstance that doesn't cause any concern for striker Harry Kane.
"Thomas and I have played many games together. We have a great understanding on the pitch," said the Englishman, referring to Müller, who is likely to appear alongside Kane more often in the coming weeks compared to the recent past.
Kompany: "I Don't Feel Like Complaining"
In general, it seems that the protagonists are drawing energy rather than lethargy from the injury crisis; a certain "now more than ever" attitude has taken hold in the Säbener Straße area and especially with Kompany.
"I don't feel like complaining. I don't want to change the goals because we're unlucky with injuries," the Bayern coach said sharply at the press conference before the Inter game.
Kompany added: "We shouldn't look back too much, but assume that the players who will play tomorrow will perform accordingly." Konrad Laimer agrees with his coach: "We're not looking for excuses, but we need to stick together as a team. We have to overcome this adversity together. I'm convinced that we still have enough quality."
Müller Praises the Fans
Indeed, sticking together is the top priority. Müller also knows this, and at this important stage, he refrained from kicking his beloved club (which would be understandable under the current circumstances) and instead prepared the fans for the tasks ahead.
"We have respect for Inter, but we know we can beat them," he wrote in his newsletter. According to Müller, the strong performance in the round of 16 against league rivals Bayer Leverkusen gave the Munich team "a lot of self-confidence."
What's important against the Nerazzurri? "Patience and aggression." Bayern have something to make up for after the trophyless last season: "We belong to the top of the Bundesliga, period."
However, the club icon wants to say goodbye with the most valuable trophy of all – the Champions League title. And all of this in front of their home fans: "By winning against Inter, we can open the door to playing the final at home. That's the most important thing, that's what matters to us as a team, and to me personally."
What kind of story would it be if Müller became a key figure again in his final days in a Bayern jersey and helped make a Champions League final 2.0 a reality? In any case, we remain optimistic – there can't be a greater motivation than that.
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