Injury Problems Could Cost Bayern This Season
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We are only three games in to the 2018/19 Bundesliga season and already Bayern Munich are 2 points clear at the top of the table. However, the early season success has come at a price, with three important players getting injured.
The first casualty was French winger, Kingsley Coman. The pacey wide man has been forced to undergo surgery on ankle ligament tear suffered in the opening game of the Bundesliga season against Hoffenheim.
In their third match of the season, Bayern Munich faced Bayer Leverkusen at home. Despite winning the game 3-1, Corentin Tolisso tore his anterior cruciate knee ligament, which is set to keep the Frenchman out for several months. Later in the game, Rafinha was on the receiving end of a poor challenge by Karim Bellarabi and damaged ligaments in his ankle. The Brazilian is expected to be out for a few weeks.
With the Champions League starting in September, the DFB Pokal in October and further international breaks to worry about, Bayern Munich could be left counting on their two oldest outfield players this season.
Arjen Robben is 35 years old while Franck Ribery is 36 years old. Other than Rafinha, who is currently injured, the next oldest outfield players in the Bayern Munich first team squad are Robert Lewandowski, Javi Martinez and Jerome Boateng, who are all 30 years of age.
Robben was very impressive in the 3-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen, scoring the opening goal and coming close to a second. Ribery was on the bench but is sure to come into consideration in the Champions League with the injury to Coman.
The question is, can both players remain fully fit for the entire 2018/19 campaign? Given their record, it is highly unlikely and this will leave Nico Kovac short in the wide attacking positions
The new Bayern Munich manager was hoping to rotate his full-backs, affording David Alaba a rest on the weekend but it failed as he was forced to introduce the Austrian late in the game.
In the semi-final of the Champions League last season, Bayern Munich’s injury problems caused them difficulties with Manuel Neuer, Kingsley Coman, Arjen Robben, Arturo Vidal and Jerome Boateng missing the second leg.
Looking at the current squad, many of the players featured in the World Cup, including key striker Robert Lewandowski. If the Polish international was to pick up an injury, Bayern Munich would be left short up-front, leaving the German champions with huge problems.
Jerome Boateng, Javi Martinez, Thiago, Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben are fit at the time of writing but are also injury prone. With Corentin Tolisso, Kingsley Coman and Rafinha already on the side-lines, two for a long period of time plus James Rodriguez struggling to get back to full fitness, one or two more injuries could prove very costly this season.
Bayern Munich are clear favourites for the Bundesliga title and one of the favourites to win the Champions League this season. Can their injury prone players remain fit or will this be the season where injuries finally catch up with Bayern Munich?
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