Time of suffering comes to an end! Hiroki Ito is about to make his Bayern comeback | OneFootball

Almost eight months after suffering his third metatarsal fracture, Hiroki Ito has returned to the FC Bayern squad. The Japanese international could be back in the squad against SC Freiburg on Saturday – an important signal for coach Vincent Kompany and the entire Munich defense.

It’s a chapter full of setbacks that could finally come to an end for Hiroki Ito. It happened again on 29 March: in the 3-2 win against FC St. Pauli, the defender didn’t even make it half an hour onto the pitch after coming on as a substitute before another metatarsal fracture dashed any hopes of a return. The third of its kind – and the tragic climax to an injury history that cost Ito over a year of his career in a Bayern shirt.

in 2024, Munich invested around €23 million to sign the left-back from VfB Stuttgart. A centre-back and full-back with a clean build-up play, tactical maturity and flexibility – qualities that perfectly complemented Kompany’s idea of the game. But Ito was unable to show this for long. The first serious injury in the summer, a further setback in November and then the March shock against St. Pauli turned his debut season into a period of suffering.

Nevertheless, Ito made eight competitive appearances at the start of 2025, including two Champions League games. Ito even scored his first goal for FCB in the 4-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt. However, another long break followed shortly afterwards.

Now, however, the turning point seems to have arrived. Ito has been back in full training with the team for around two weeks – without any restrictions or reactions to his foot. According to informationfrom club circles, things are looking very good. According to kicker , the 21-time Japan international could be in the Bundesliga squad for next Saturday’s home game against Freiburg.

Welcome relief for Kompany – and a goal called the 2026 World Cup

Kompany’s return comes at the perfect time, as Munich’s long-term squad continues to shrink. While Alphonso Davies is already completing parts of team training and could return to playing time in December, Jamal Musiala is still working on his comeback – the 22-year-old is likely to make his return in January.

Ito, on the other hand, immediately offers a new option – and above all one that Bayern urgently need. As a left-footer, he relieves the pressure on right-footed players Konrad Laimer and Josip Stanisic, who have often had to improvise on the left-hand side in recent months. At the same time, the competition in the center is enormous: Jonathan Tah and Dayot Upamecano are set, and Minjae Kim is also fighting for playing minutes.

The Japanese player will therefore have to be patient, but he has clear motivation – and a long-term goal: the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. To achieve this, he needs match practice at Bayern, rhythm and an injury-free period.