The derby fever is rising! After a two-week international break, it's back to the business of getting points in the Bundesliga this weekend. For FC Bayern, that means the Derby at FC Augsburg on Saturday (15:30 CEST). And for the clash with their Bavarian neighbours, head coach Niko Kovač has almost a full squad available, as he revealed in Thursday's post-training press conference.
"We're very happy, everyone has come back fit," said Kovač two days after his 48th birthday. Lucas Hernández, who played for the full 90 minutes in France's UEFA 2020 qualifier against Turkey (1-1), is "free of pain" and "fit to play again", the head coach explained. Before the international break, the 2018 World Cup winner had been left out because of knee problems.
Kovač also announced that "it's looking very good" for Leon Goretzka. The midfielder returned to team training at the beginning of the week following his thigh operation and is now "well prepared". The 24-year-old still hasn't made a league appearance this season. Now it's a matter of "gradually incorporating him" so he can get back into the rhythm.
There are small question marks currently hanging solely over David Alaba and Michaël Cuisance. After a hairline crack in his rib, the Austrian is "on the road to recovery", but "of course he still feels his rib - you can feel every little shock". That's why Kovač will await the final training session on Friday and doesn't want to "rush into anything". Cuisance had to leave the training session prematurely on Thursday due to groin problems.
After the majority of his players successfully played in the internationals during the break, the atmosphere within the team is "really good", stressed Kovač. "We couldn't be better positioned. We want to show that at the weekend as well."
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