Daniel van Buyten was well enough to use the fitness machines at the Säbener Strasse on Sunday, but the Belgian is still rated doubtful for Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final return away to Olympique Lyon. Worryingly for Bayern, the same applies to fellow centre-back Martin Demichelis. The pair were both substituted after sustaining injuries in Saturday’s Bundesliga meeting with Monchengladbach.
Van Buyten suffered a painful blow to the shin and calf early in the second half, while Demichelis sprained a calf muscle before half-time. Both will travel with the FCB party to Lyon on Monday, but a decision over their fitness to play will be left until the day of the match. “I hope at least one of the centre-halves recovers fitness,” Louis van Gaal said after the Gladbach match, “then we’ll have Badstuber, the centre-half, and Contento on the left. I’d be happy with that.”
Sunday brought good news for the coach concerning Hamit Altintop. The Turkey international, who missed the encounter in Gladbach with a groin strain, resumed the team training programme and is in contention for the trip to Lyon. The midfielder is evidently in good form: he scored direct from a corner in training. The only men definitely ruled out of the Stade Gerland clash are suspended duo Danijel Pranjic (three bookings) and Franck Ribéry (straight red card in the first leg).
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