High-flying Bayern face injury woes as decisive phase

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Bayern Munich’s home clash with Augsburg on Friday kick-starts a crucial game for the German giants, who are struggling under the weight of injuries at key positions.

After Friday’s game, Bayern host Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday, before a trip to Borussia Dortmund and a German Cup clash with Bayer Leverkusen.

Bayern can go eight points clear with a win against Bavarian neighbors Augsburg, who are yet to win away this season.

But Bayern will have to do it and are missing several players along with big question marks at key positions.

The club announced this week that Joao Palhinha had joined defensive midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic on the club’s long-term injury list.

Palhinha arrived this summer from Premier League side Fulham, having been specifically signed to address a weakness in the position.

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany looks set to go with the out-of-form Leon Goretzka, who has only started once this season, pairing him with Joshua Kimmich.

On Thursday, Kompany revealed that captain and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was a doubt “with a rib problem”.

“It’s still a bit early,” Kompany said of Neuer’s chances. “We hope he can still start tomorrow. We have to wait and see how it goes in training.”

With long-term back-up Sven Ulreich missing “for personal reasons”, third-choice goalkeeper Daniel Peretz, fresh from two clean sheets for Israel, could get his first Bundesliga start.

“We assume that ‘Manu’ will be able to be there. If not, Daniel Peretz will play tomorrow. We have no doubts about him – he has been very good with the national team.”

Teenage striker Mathys Tel will also miss Friday’s clash with an injury picked up on international duty, putting more weight on the shoulders of Harry Kane.

Defenders Hiroki Ito and Josip Stanisic, both of whom have yet to play this season, are still weeks away from returning.

However, the failure of Bayern’s rivals will allow them to breathe a little easier, at least in the league.

Closest challengers RB Leipzig have fallen off the pace after dropping five points in their last two matches, while defending champions Leverkusen are already nine points behind Bayern.

After just 10 games, Xabi Alonso’s side have dropped 13 points this season – one more than they did in the whole of last campaign.

Dortmund, who were runners-up in the Champions League last season, are languishing in seventh place.

As deep as Leverkusen’s struggles have gone this season, they haven’t affected star midfielder Florian Wirtz.

The 21-year-old continues to shine for club and country, leading to rumors that this season could be his last at Leverkusen, with Bayern and Real Madrid among the reported suitors.

Wirtz’s seven goals and two assists in all competitions belies the true influence of a player equally comfortable dropping deep to start an attacking raid or finishing things up front.

In Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Hungary in Budapest, Wirtz came off the bench and slotted in a corner that led to Germany’s opener. He also received a yellow card and will miss the Nations League quarter-final first leg.

“I screamed at him… it was stupid,” teammate Jamal Musiala said afterward.

1 – Bayern Munich are the only unbeaten team left in the Bundesliga after 10 games, while bottom-placed Bochum are the only team yet to win.

5 and 7 – RB Leipzig have conceded just five goals in the league this season, the best in the league, while keeping seven clean sheets.

2 in 10 – Hoffenheim, who sacked coach Pellegrino Matarazzo during the international break, have won just two of 10 league games this season. Those wins came against the lowly duo of Bochum and Holstein Kiel.

Fixtures (1430 GMT unless otherwise stated)

Friday

Bayern Munich v Augsburg (1930)

Saturday

Borussia Dortmund v Freiburg, Wolfsburg v Union Berlin, Bayer Leverkusen v Heidenheim, Stuttgart v Bochum, Hoffenheim v RB Leipzig, Eintracht Frankfurt v Werder Bremen (1730)

Sunday

Holstein Kiel v Mainz, Borussia Moenchengladbach v St Pauli (1630)

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