Bayern Munich’s selection dilemma: Who replaces Harry Kane? | OneFootball

Bayern Munich confirmed on Sunday that Harry Kane suffered a minor muscle strain in his right hamstring during their 1-1 draw against Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker. The Englishman, who became the quickest player to reach 50 Bundesliga goals – doing so in 43 games – was replaced by Thomas Müller after 33 minutes in the Bundesliga Topspiel.

Who should replace Harry Kane?

Sidelined for the time being, Vincent Kompany faces a decision to make regarding who replaces Kane for their DFB Pokal tie against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.

The obvious choice would be Müller. But the Bayern legend isn’t the goalscorer he once was. Against Borussia Dortmund, Bayern changed system which saw the 35-year-old drift, which ultimately left the Rekordmeister short in central positions.

Kompany’s only other real option would be Mathys Tel. The Frenchman has struggled for minutes this season despite ending the 2023/24 campaign well under Thomas Tuchel, registering six goal contributions (four goals, two assists) in his last 11 Bundesliga games of last season. The French youth international operated in a wide position barring two games, where he was the central-figure.

This season however is a different story. Tel has played just 174 minutes across five Bundesliga games and despite being in the matchday squad, has been an unused substitute in six league games this season. With minutes hard to come by, there has been murmurs that Tel could leave on loan in January but depending on Kane’s injury, that could well change as we head into the winter break.

Tel was offered a shock start against Borussia Dortmund and in Kane’s absence, the 19-year-old forward would be an option for Kompany.

GGFN | Daniel Pinder