Franck Ribéry is definitely out of Bayern’s Bundesliga trip to Bavarian neighbours Nürnberg on Saturday afternoon. The UEFA Best Player in Europewas forced to undergo a minor operation on Thursday evening to repair a burst blood vessel in his buttock. Surgery became necessary at short notice because bruising associated with the damage was affecting a nerve. Ribéry will remain in hospital until Sunday and will undergo a post-operative examination the following day. That in turn will allow medics to assess the length of the player’s lay-off. “I hope he can train with us again as soon as possible,” Pep Guardiola commented.
60th all-Bavaria Bundesliga derby
Bayern and FC Nürnberg face off for the 60th time in the Bundesliga on Saturday afternoon. FCB have won 36 of the previous meetings, with 12 draws and 11 defeats. Germany’s most successful club have lost only one of their last 21 encounters with their Franconian rivals, a 3–0 reverse in February 2007.
Tough away from home
However, Bayern have regularly had a hard time of it in Nuremberg in recent years, with only one win in their last six visits, a 1–0 success in March 2012. Four of the other six matches finished 1–1, with the remaining game ending in defeat. FCB also failed to score more than once in all six of their recent trips to Nuremberg.
Mandzukic prolific against FCN
Mario Mandzukic has scored five goals in six games against FC Nürnberg, making the Franconians his favourite opposing team along with Mainz. Back in 2011 Mandzukic opened his Bundesliga scoring account against Nürnberg while he still a Wolfsburg player.
Possession record in reverse fixture
When the sides met in the reverse fixture on Matchday 3 last autumn Bayern took the three points with a 2–0 victory and also set a new record for time on the ball: FCB controlled 80.5 percent of the possession, the highest proportion ever recorded since the data were first collected in 2004.
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