The player shortage is getting worse! Another knee injury shock at FC Bayern | OneFootball

Injury concerns at FC Bayern are mounting. In the hard-fought 3-2 victory over Bayer Leverkusen, another key midfielder, Bernadette Amani, went down with an injury. The 29-year-old had to be substituted in the 73rd minute due to problems with her right knee.

The severity of the injury is not yet clear. An MRI scan is expected to provide clarity. Bayern director Bianca Rech explained after the match: “She twisted her knee.”

A prolonged absence would hit the Munich team at a particularly inopportune time. Just last week, Lena Oberdorf suffered another setback. The 23-year-old, who had made her comeback after two cruciate ligament tears, will once again be sidelined for several weeks due to inflammation.

As a result, the injury woes are increasingly turning into a real personnel problem in defensive midfield.

Bayern are running out of defensive midfielders

Photo: IMAGO

To make matters worse, Bayern let Ariana Caruso leave for Real Madrid a few weeks ago. The Italian had pushed for a transfer, and the Munich team received a record transfer fee of around 600,000 euros for her.

With Oberdorf and Amani out, the team is now missing two more options. Although Sarah Zadrazil is on her way back after tearing her ACL, she is still far from being able to play a full 90 minutes consistently. So far, the 33-year-old has played only 15 minutes since her long layoff.

This leaves Momoko Tanikawa as the primary potential solution at the moment. However, the 21-year-old Japanese player’s greatest strengths lie further up the field. She has already scored two goals in four matches and is actually most comfortable in attacking midfield.

Alara Sehitler could also move back a position. But the 19-year-old, too, generally feels more comfortable in a more attacking role.

Transfer window closed – Rech can’t make moves until winter

This makes the situation particularly complicated for Bayern’s management. The transfer window is closed, and short-term reinforcements at the required level are virtually unavailable. Should Amani be sidelined for an extended period, coach José Barcala will have to solve the problem for now with the existing roster.

The timing is particularly unfortunate. The Munich women’s Champions League season kicks off as early as September 22 with a home game against Manchester City. After that, two more European heavyweights—FC Barcelona and Real Madrid—await.

At least in Oberdorf’s case, there is hope that she will be able to return to action before the winter break. By then, however, a large portion of the decisive Champions League matches may already have been played.

Amani’s potential absence thus significantly exacerbates an already tense situation. Following the sale of Caruso and the injuries to Oberdorf and Zadrazil, the squad depth in the midfield has become extremely thin. If Amani’s MRI scan does not give the all-clear, Bayern will have to make do with a makeshift solution at the defensive midfield position for the coming weeks.