Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman picked up a serious injury against Hoffenheim in August but could be back on the pitch sooner than expected.
Niko Kovac has suffered his fair share of blows this season in the form of various injuries to important players. The Croatian wanted a relatively small squad at Bayern Munich, but this move has backfired as key players like Kingsley Coman and Corentin Tolisso have suffered serious injuries.
Long term injuries to big name players has become a persistent problem for the Bavarians throughout the past few seasons. Usually, however, these injuries occur late in the season, not at the beginning.
Nevertheless, Bayern have reportedly received some positive news in regards to Kingsley Coman’s recovery from his ankle injury. According to a report in L’Equipe, Coman is recovering much faster than expected. This report suggests that the Frenchman is on track to join the first team in training by the beginning of November and could even feature in the first team before the end of 2018. It was initially expected that Coman would miss the rest of the hinrunde and rejoin the squad after the winter break.
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Coman suffered a serious ankle injury in February which kept him out for almost four months last season. He missed out on a place in the French National team for the World Cup in Russia because of this.
The French winger injured the same ankle in the very first Bundesliga match of the 2018-19 season, after a rash challenge from Hoffenheim full-back Nico Schulz.
Coman rediscovered his best form under Jupp Heynckes last season after stumbling under Carlo Ancelotti. He was expected to become Bayern’s first choice winger under Niko Kovac. These expectations came crashing down just after the first matchday.
Die Roten missed Coman in last season’s semi-final defeat against Real Madrid in the Champions League and will be all too eager to make sure his recovery lasts a bit longer this time around. The Bavarians must be vigilant to ensure he doesn’t enter yet another relapse.
Bayern are heavily relying on Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben on the flanks once again this season. The veteran pair has been playing a lot in the past two months, as Serge Gnabry has also endured a slow start to the season. It is widely expected that this is the last season for the iconic duo, though. The return of Coman and the arrival of Alphonso Davies in January will surely decrease Robbery’s workload.
The Bavarians received more positive news on other injured players earler this week. Rafinha and David Alaba have both regained fitness and each featured in one half of today’s Wolfsburg clash. Leon Goretzka — who stayed behind in Munich during the last international break — also grabbed some minutes against the Wolves. Corentin Tolisso remains a concern for Bayern, however. The Frenchman will be fortunate to play again this season after tearing his ACL last month.