Uli Hoeness has ruled out Bayern Munich signing a central defender in January after Niklas Sule suffered a serious injury against Augsburg.
It was a bad weekend for Bayern Munich as club football resumed after the end of the international break. Die Roten dropped points for the second consecutive gameweek as they conceded an equalizer in dying minutes against Augsburg. They remain third in the league table, one point behind Borussia Monchengladbach.
Apart from the result, Bayern was dealt with an even bigger blow on the injury front. Niklas Sule suffered a serious injury in the first quarter of the game. After further prognosis, Bayern confirmed that Sule ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Sule is expected to be on sidelines for at least six months. He is unlikely to play again for Bayern this season. This type of injury requires a long recovery time, and there is always a high risk of relapse if the player is rushed back.
Speaking to media on Tuesday (via SportBild), Uli Hoeness confirmed that Sule is unlikely to play for Germany in Euros next summer. Hoeness also admits that Bayern will not be looking to add a central defender to the squad due to Sule’s injury.
"“This is a total disaster. A drama! As it looks like the season is over. He can forget the Euros.”“We will not bring anyone.”"
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Hasan Salihamidzic also told SportBild that Sule successfully underwent surgery on his left knee. The club’s sporting director backs Sule to come back strongly after this big injury setback. Sule has been a mainstay in the starting lineup over the past two seasons.
The German international took one season to settle at the club but started delivering consistent performances in his second campaign. Sule was expected to form a strong partnership with Lucas Hernandez in central defense this season. However, this injury has halted this progress, forcing Niko Kovac to try different combinations in the heart of defense.
Kovac will have to move Joshua Kimmich back into defense due to this injury to Sule. Kimmich has been playing in holding midfield role this season, providing more stability to the starting lineup. In his absence in defense, Benjamin Pavard played in the right-back position. Pavard is now likely to move in central defense, allowing Kimmich to play on the right side of the defense.
Javi Martinez and Jerome Boateng also remain options in central defense for Bayern. The experienced duo has lately struggled against fast forwards but still has the ability to turn up for big games. It will be interesting to see how Kovac deals with the massive selection headache Sule’s injury has given.