In a new injury setback, Claudio Pizarro will be out of action for four to six weeks after rupturing a group of anterior muscles in his right thigh in training on Thursday, FCB chief medical officer Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt announced after examining the Peruvian. Pizarro sustained the injury during passing and shooting practice and was forced to break off the session. Pizarro joins Holger Badstuber, Thiago and Xherdan Shaqiri on the club’s medium to long-term injury roster.
Thiago’s first cautious steps towards comeback
Thiago Alcántara has taken the first tentative steps towards a comeback. The summer signing has been out of action since rupturing a syndesmosis ligament in late August. However, a surgical screw was removed from his right leg two weeks ago and the Spain international returned to the Säbener Strasse training ground on Thursday for a light shakedown. After a 15-minute jog, Thiago and sports rehab coach Thomas Wilhelmi returned to the performance center for more exercise to stabilise and rebuild the player’s right ankle muscles. No target date has been set for Thiago to resume the squad programme.
Philipp Lahm and Co go to the polls
It was make-your-mind-up time at Bayern on Thursday as Philipp Lahm and Co cast their votes for the FIFA/FIFPro World XI awards. The poll among professional players compiles the top team from all over the world as determined by their peers. FIFA and Federación Internacional de Futbolistas Profesionales (FIFPro), the representative body for pro footballers, first joined forces for the poll five years ago. The winners will be announced at the FIFA Ballon d'Or gala in Zurich on 13 January 2014.
