As reported by Bild, Bayern Munich will be without South Korean defender Kim Min-jae for the first round of the DFB-Pokal.
The record champions have been blighted by injuries over the past week, and head coach Thomas Tuchel will now have to deal without the former Napoli star. The 26-year-old has not travelled with the Bayern squad, which means that Tuchel may have to improvise in defence.
As well as this, Matthijs de Ligt will be sidelined for the foreseeable future after suffering a bruised knee during the first-half against Bochum on matchday five. Therefore, the two starting centre-backs from Saturday will be unavailable, but Tuchel has since revealed that half-time substitute Dayot Upamecano is also a doubt:
“We have to see how Upa is doing. He has had a bit of latent discomfort since the international break.” With talented 18-year-old Tarek Buchmann still currently unable to feature due to a muscle injury, the only recognised defender Tuchel can turn to is reserve team centre-back Luca Denk (20).
While Upamecano may be able to return to partner Denk, the versatile Konrad Laimer may be the most likely option to fill the void left in the middle of Bayern’s backline. Either way, it will be frustrating for Tuchel, and perhaps the head coach has reason to be concerned about the limited options he has to turn too.
GGFN | Will Shopland
