Bayern Munich face dilemma about Kim Min-jae’s fitness issues | OneFootball

Bayern Munich returned to winning ways in the Bundesliga on Saturday as they clinched a narrow 3-2 win against St. Pauli at Allianz Arena. After this win, Bayern remain on track to lift the Bundesliga. However, the win against St. Pauli was clouded by the serious injury suffered by Hiroki Ito at the end of the game.

The Japanese defender suffered a metatarsal fracture in the same foot that has troubled him the whole season. Ito will be out of action for several months. He joins Dayot Upamecano and Alphonso Davies on the sidelines, leading to a full-blown injury crisis in the defense.

Kim Min-jae and Eric Dier are the only fit center-back partnership available for Bayern during the business end of the season. However, Die Roten are also facing a dilemma on how to manage the game time of Kim Min-jae.

The South Korean defender suffered an Achilles injury in March that kept him out for a few weeks. Kim returned earlier than expected, but TZ is reporting that he has not completely recovered from this injury. Moreover, the 28-year-old defender is also facing back issues as he played with a sore throat and a strong cough against St. Pauli.

It is quite clear that the former Napoli defender needs more rest, but Die Roten are very thin in the heart of defense. Vincent Kompany needs the South Korean defender fit for the rest of the season since he is running out of options.

Joao Palhinha and Josip Stanisic could play in defense

Ahead of Friday’s game against Augsburg, TZ reports that Kompany could consider using Palhinha and Stanisic in the heart of the defense. Stanisic has already played in this position for Bayern in the past. He also got more exposure to this role during his loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen.

Palhinha has yet to play in the heart of defense for Bayern, but his defensive awareness and clean tackling technique may help to settle into this role. Considering the plethora of options in central midfield, the Portuguese will be content with playing in central defense during the next two months.

Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka are the other players in the squad who can play in the center-back position. Considering how games are coming thick and fast, Kompany will have to rotate a bit to avoid injuries for Kim Min-jae and Eric Dier. The first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Inter Milan takes place next week, which suggests there could be significant rotation for the clash against Augsburg.