Bayern Munich will commence their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup on 15 June against the Oceania Champions, Auckland City, at the TQL Stadium in Cincinnati.
Unfortunately, the German Champions will enter the tournament short on numbers at the back. Four key defenders- Dayot Upamecano, Kim Min-jae, Alphonso Davies, and Hiroki Ito will all be absent from the matchday squad. Of the four, only Upamecano stands any chance of playing in the tournament. Davies and Ito are long-term casualties. Kim is not expected to be back in action until after the completion of the tournament, and is currently a candidate for sale over the summer.
Bayern chiefs have done well to bring Jonathan Tah on board in time for the start of the Club World Cup. However, with just a few days to adapt to Vincent Kompany’s system, too much should not be expected too soon of Tah. Having said that, the man to step up for Bayern will be Josip Stanisic.
More often than not, despite being primarily a right-back, Stanisic has done an admirable job when tasked with playing in the center-back role. Before Bayern agreed a deal with Leverkusen for Tah, Stanisic was scheduled to lead what would have been effectively Bayern’s second-string back four with Leon Goretzka as his likely partner in central defense. With the seasoned German veteran defender alongside him at the heart of the defense, instead of Goretzka, Stanisic would be less burdened to provide the leadership at the back. However, the 25-year-old Croatian international must still be the glue at the back while Tah becomes familiar with his new teammates.
Bayern can reap rewards in the long run if Stanisic shines at the CWC
Whilst it goes without saying that a series of commanding performances from Stanisic will boost Bayern’s chances of lifting the Club World Cup Trophy, the club can potentially save significant funds on the hunt for a suitable replacement if Kim Mi-jae was to be sold by deploying Stanisic more as a center-back than a full-back.
Taking a glass-half-full perspective of the current injury situation at the club, with Stanisic holding down the fort at center-back, that may provide the opportunity for the forgotten man-Sacha Boey to atone for past shortcomings on his part at right-back. With Konrad Laimer being Vincent Kompany’s deserved first-choice right-back, Boey’s chances would be limited, but even so, the 24-year-old Frenchman should be ready to make the most of any opportunities presented to him in Cincinnati.
It may be a long shot, but if both Stanisic and Boey manage to deliver impressive performances at the Club World Cup, then it may be worth it to hold off, for the moment, on any spending for defensive reinforcements, especially if Upamecano regains full fitness before the end of the tournament.
With Hiroki Ito injured for most of last season, Vincent Kompany had to rely on Eric Dier as his third center-back behind Upamecano and Kim. As fate would have it, the Japanese defender is once again injured and won’t be back for several months. Depending on how the chips fall at the Club World Cup, it may not be a bad idea to roll with Upamecano, Tah, and Stanisic as the three main center-backs to start the upcoming season, pending the eventual return of Ito.