{"id":274655,"date":"2018-10-31T11:59:33","date_gmt":"2018-10-31T15:59:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonfootball.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=274655"},"modified":"2018-10-31T11:59:33","modified_gmt":"2018-10-31T15:59:33","slug":"bayern-munichs-injury-woes-continue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2018\/10\/31\/bayern-munichs-injury-woes-continue\/","title":{"rendered":"Bayern Munich’s Injury Woes Continue"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a club, Bayern Munich<\/a> set high standards for themselves. Towards the end of September and at the beginning of October, those standards were not being met. Dropping points in four successive games, manager\u00a0Niko Kova\u010d<\/strong><\/a> is under pressure. One of many reasons for Bayern’s poor form was injuries, something which continues to hold the team back.<\/p>\n

Bayern Munich’s Injury Woes Continue<\/h1>\n

Winning their\u00a0opening five games of the season, Bayern looked confident and assured on the pitch. Undefeated in all competitions, Kova\u010d’s team were dealing with the loss of two key players. Just 45 minutes into the new season, Bayern lost Kingsley Coman<\/a><\/strong> to a long-term ankle ligament injury. This was a big loss, but Bayern had had the quality to survive, barring any more\u00a0injuries. The Bavarian’s weren’t\u00a0so lucky, losing key man Corentin Tolisso<\/a><\/strong> just three games into the new season. France’s World Cup winner was set to play a key role this season, but an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained against Bayer Leverkusen will keep him out until 2019.<\/p>\n

Slowly recovering from a turmoil filling a few weeks,\u00a0Kova\u010d and Bayern have rediscovered their winning touch. However, as a difficult season gets tougher, Munich will now be without another key man for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n

Thiago Set to Miss\u00a0Der Klassiker<\/h2>\n

Arguably Bayern’s most consistent player this season, Thiago has been ruled out for several weeks with an ankle ligament injury. Forced off in the team’s 2-1 win against Rodinghausen on Tuesday, the Spanish midfielder faces a long spell on the sidelines. Set to miss games against Freiburg, AEK Athens\u00a0and\u00a0Fortuna D\u00fcsseldorf, he will also miss Bayern’s most important game of the season so far. Der Klassiker, also known as the “German Clasico” is the derby between Germany’s two most successful clubs in recent years.\u00a0Table toppers Borussia\u00a0Dortmund will host Bayern on November 10th.<\/p>\n

Thiago’s absence is a big blow for\u00a0Kova\u010d, with a derby win crucial at this point in the season. With Thiago out for at least a month,\u00a0Kova\u010d will look to Leon Goretzka<\/a><\/strong> to carry the load in the Spaniard’s absence. Another player who could see more game time is Renato Sanches<\/a><\/strong>. Playing a small role so far this season, Sanches has played well when given the chance. The Bundesliga<\/a> title race appears to be a two-horse race between the two clubs and Der Klassiker could go a long way in deciding who comes out on top come May 2019.<\/p>\n

Key Injuries at the Wrong Time<\/h2>\n

So far, Bayern’s season has been ruined by injuries to key players. Losing Coman early on,\u00a0Kova\u010d has lacked options<\/a> out wide. Franck Ribery<\/a><\/strong>, Serge Gnabry<\/strong><\/a> and Arjen Robben<\/a><\/strong> have all struggled with injuries\u00a0at some point this season. A lack of continuity on the wings has cost them, with the team’s wide players playing such a key role. In January, Bayern will complete the signing of Canadian winger Alphonso Davies<\/a><\/strong>. The club has already confirmed Davies will be training with the first-team, despite only being 17-years-old. Davies is a raw talent who could play a role at some point during the second half of the season.<\/p>\n

Currently second in the table, Bayern Munich have the quality to win the title once again. However, this will be their toughest season in recent memory, with injuries leaving the team at its weakest point in years.\u00a0Kova\u010d will keep his job, for now, but winning is all that matters, something which just got a lot tougher, with Thiago’s injury coming at exactly the wrong time.<\/p>\n

Main Photo<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a>