Bayern Munich defender David Alaba is eager to play for Austria during the international break despite suffering a fracture in his ribs.
The second international break of the 2019/20 season is set to kick off this week. Bayern Munich is very well represented during this break. However, there has been some confusion between the club and countries regarding the fitness of a couple of players.
Die Roten expressed their frustration on Monday when Lucas Hernandez was called up for the French national team. The 23-year-old center-back missed Bayern’s last two games due to a knee injury. The club is adamant that he is not fit to play for France this week, but Didier Deschamps still included him in his squad.
Apart from Hernandez, David Alaba was also called upon by the Austrian team despite nursing a rib injury. Alaba suffered this injury during their game against Tottenham Hotspurs last week. The initial prognosis was that it was just a bruise, but further tests confirmed that he suffered a fracture in his ribs.
Alaba missed the game against Hoffenheim and was expected to be out for a few weeks. However, the full-back’s selection for the national team came as a surprise. Speaking to media this week (via Kicker), Alaba said that he is hopeful about the chances of playing against Israel on Thursday.
"“Of course I hope that it develops in the next 24 to 48 hours, as I imagine.”"
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Bayern will be hoping that the Austrian team doesn’t take a risk with the fitness of the left-back. The games against Israel and Slovenia are crucial for Austria in their goal of qualifying for Euro 2020, so there is a chance that they may take a risk with Alaba.
Alaba has endured a frustrating time in the last month on the injury front. The Austrian suffered a muscle injury just before the kickoff against RB Leipzig. Die Roten feared that Alaba might be out for several weeks, but he recovered quickly and made his return against Spurs in the Champions League. His time on the pitch was shortlived as he suffered this rib injury during a clash with Serge Aurier in the first half.
Leon Goretzka meanwhile started training on the pitch this week. The German midfielder has endured a frustrating campaign due to injuries. He went under the knife at the start of Septemeber after suffering a thigh injury during a training session for Germany.
Bayern will be hoping that the majority of their injured players recover during this break. The defending champions went into this break on a bad note as they suffered defeat against Hoffenheim at Allianz Arena. Die Roten will be looking to regain their top spot in the league table when they travel to Augsburg after the international break.