Bayern’s 1-0 victory at Hamburg came at a cost. Along with Thomas Müller (see separate story), Mats Hummels and Kingsley Coman also returned home with injuries, while Javi Martínez did not make the trip. Coach Jupp Heynckes had good news on Tuesday, though: apart from Müller they will all be available for the DFB Cup match against RB Leipzig (Wednesday, 20:45 CEST)! However, James Rodriguez has now not travelled with the squad and remains in Munich due to a back problem.
“Mats took a knock to his ankle,” reported Heynckes. “It was mostly small fibres that were damaged but that’s nothing major. The injury is not so bad that he can’t start in Leipzig,” reassured the Bayern coach. Coman has also been in the treatment room after the Hamburg game with a bruised knee. “He’ll continue to be treated. I expect him to play from the start,” said an optimistic Heynckes.
Müller “a bitter blow”
Javi Martínez will at least be in the squad. “He’s trained well, but there’s a difference between training and matches. I’m a coach who protects his players. If they’re not 100% fit, they won’t bring their top performance,” stated Heynckes. As things stand, though, Martínez will definitely make the trip to Leipzig. “We’ll make a decision on how we use him on the day,” confirmed Heynckes.
Meanwhile, Müller will be out for somewhat longer. “I think he’ll be back in three weeks,” said Heynckes. “It’s a bitter blow but injuries like this happen all the time. We’ll have to deal with it.” Juan Bernat, Franck Ribéry and Manuel Neuer remain sidelined for the record champions.
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