Bayern stars Musiala and Sané racing to be fit for Champions League semifinal vs. Real Madrid
MUNICH (AP) — Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel says Jamal Musiala is unable to play against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Saturday and that the Germany forward faces a race against time to be fit for the Champions League game against Real Madrid.
Bayern hosts Madrid for the first leg of their semifinal on Tuesday.
Asked why Musiala was again left out of the squad for Frankfurt’s visit, Tuchel replied, “He can’t. He had two days without pain and he felt it again yesterday. It’s a strain, a tendon strain, and it really hindered him. He had to break off training yesterday. Now we’re giving it all for Tuesday."
Both Musiala and Leroy Sané, who is also recovering from injury, were omitted from Bayern’s squad in the 5-1 win at Union Berlin last weekend, when Tuchel made a host of changes with Madrid in mind.
The coach again rotated the squad Saturday with Alphonso Davies, Kim Min-jae, Aleksandar Pavlović and Mathys Tel dropping to the substitutes’ bench in place of Noussair Mazraoui, Konrad Laimer and Matthijs de Ligt, who were to start against Frankfurt.
Bayern’s only hope of avoiding its first trophy-less season since 2012 is to win the Champions League. Bayer Leverkusen has already ended Bayern’s 11-year reign as Bundesliga champion and the Bavarian powerhouse was knocked out by third-division Saarbrücken in the second round of the German Cup.
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