There will be 17 first-team plays on board for FC Bayern Munich when they depart for the USA on 15 July. The record champions are heading on the Audi Summer Tour 2019 for pre-season, stopping off in Los Angeles (15-19 July), Houston (19-22 July) and Kansas City (22-23 July). Bayern will contest three matches on the tour against high-class opposition in Arsenal (17 July), Real Madrid (20 July) and AC Milan (23 July) as part of the International Champions Cup.
“We’ve got three attractive opponents,” said head coach Niko Kovac ahead of the tour. The 47-year-old will complement his squad with eight further youth players to ensure the senior members get the rest they need. “We’ll take a number of U19 players with us because the reserves are already playing. I don’t want the players to just be playing, they need to be able to train again the next day,” the coach explained. The goal is to use pre-season as best as possible to be “top fit” for the first competitive match of the season at Energie Cottbus.
New signing Lucas Hernández will not be heading Stateside as he continues his rehabilitation programme in Munich following his knee operation. Nor will Alphonso Davies, who was in action with Canada at the CONCACAF Gold Cup late into June.