Bayern Munich: Roca and Hernandez set to return for RB Leipzig clash
The international break has brought some bad news on the injury front for Bayern Munich. However, Julian Nagelsmann has received a boost regarding the fitness of Lucas Hernandez and Marc Roca ahead of their clash against RB Leipzig next weekend.
According to Bild, Hernandez and Roca have stepped up their recovery, and both are in contention for the game against Leipzig. Hernandez was recovering from an injury he suffered in Euro 2020, while Roca had injured his ankle ligaments at the start of the pre-season in July.
Hernandez may slot straight in the heart of the defense when he returns next week. The French defender is expected to play more in central defense after the departure of David Alaba in the summer. Hernandez is the only left-footed senior defender in the current squad.
Meanwhile, Roca may not get back into the starting XI straight away. The midfield axis of Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka is unbreakable at the moment. The Spaniard is expected to get fair chances this season, so he will have to be patient and hope for no more injury setbacks. Roca did put in hard work throughout the summer to be ready for the new campaign. Few reports in summer were linking him with a transfer away from the club, but Roca is determined to succeed in Bavaria and remains in Nagelsmann’s plans.
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While the return of these two players is good news for Nagelsmann, Bild had bad news regarding the injury of Corentin Tolisso. The Frenchman could be on the sidelines for a long time after suffering a calf injury during training for France in the international break.
Thomas Muller is also a doubt for the game against Leipzig after he was withdrawn from the German squad due to an adductor problem. Dayot Upamecano is also recovering from a knock he suffered against Hertha Berlin last weekend. The 22-year-old defender returned to Sabner Strasse after the French team ruled him out for all three international games.
New signing Marcel Sabitzer was spotted in training at Sabner Strasse on Friday. The 27-year-old midfielder is recovering from a minor injury, which kept him out of all three games of Austria during this international break. Since Sabitzer is training on the pitch, there is a good chance that he will be fit for the game against his former team next weekend.
Nagelsmann will be hoping that at least Muller recovers in time for the big game against Leipzig. The German forward has enjoyed a good start to the campaign, so having him available for next weekend’s Bundesliga game is crucial.