Bayern Munich captain Joshua Kimmich should be available for the clash with Arsenal on Wednesday evening despite sitting out their final training session ahead of the game.
Bayern host Arsenal at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday on matchday three of the Champions League’s league phase.
Arsenal head into the clash as one of nine team with a 100% record in the competitions so far. Bayern, meanwhile, sit tenth after a win and a draw.
The German side are facing something of a personnel crisis before the game. They’re already missing Michael Olise through suspension, while there are doubts about Manuel Neuer and Joshua Kimmich also. Manager Vincent Kompany is also missing as he battles a virus.
The latter means that his assistant, Aaron Danks, stepped in for the press conference ahead of the game today. He was specifically asked about the absent players, such as Kimmich.
“Unfortunately, he is absent for personal reasons. I’m not sure what that means for tomorrow,” he said on the subject.
Injury updates
BILD now provide an update on everyone who is missing, including Kompany.
The German newspaper reports that while Kimmich was missing from the final training session, that was due to personal reasons according to the club.
BILD’s information is that there is a ‘strong hope’ that Kimmich will be available for the clash with Arsenal on Wednesday. But his participation is by no means guaranteed.
There is even greater cause for concern regarding Kompany. He was unable to see either Monday or Tuesday’s training sessions. He is recovering from a viral infection at home.
But the infection is cause other issues, particularly with old scar tissue in his body. That’s leading to hip problems. As a result, he is not only feeling weak but also struggling to stand for long periods or climb stairs. That is why duties have been passed over to Danks.
Internally Bayern are hoping that Kompany will be present for the Arsenal game. But the reality is that it will be a nail biter.
Better news
There is better news when it comes to Manuel Neuer. The 40-year-old was able to train as normal on Tuesday.
He had been dealing with fluid in his foot ahead of the game against Arsenal. But he returned to training on Monday following a week-long break.
They physical exertion of that caused no further issues, allowing him to take part in Tuesday’s session without any problems. Provided no new fluid accumulates in his foot, the 2014 World Cup winner is expected to start in goal against Arsenal.
That mean his replacement, and long-term successor, Jonas Urbig, returns to the bench.
