Kim Min-jae to take time away from Bayern Munich starting XI | OneFootball

As reported by Christian Falk, Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae is set to take some time away from Vincent Kompany’s starting XI.

The Korean international is currently struggling with a lot of pain in his Achilles tendon. Min-jae has been playing with this pain for over half a season now, ever since Bayern’s game against Eintracht Frankfurt in October. It comes as no surprise that this affected his game on the pitch.

For this reason, the experienced defender has requested a break from the starting line-up so that his tendon can fully heal.

Who Replaces Kim Min-jae?

With Min-jae’s absence, it’s likely that either Eric Dier or Hiroki Ito will replace him in the starting line-up. Dier has played back-up for most of the season and probably deserves more time for his professionalism and decent performances when called upon.

In the last few weeks, Ito has finally made his comeback since returning from injury. The Japanese international was used in both legs of Bayern’s Champions League clash with Celtic as well as during their Bundesliga match away at Bayer Leverkusen.

Regardless of who does replace Kim Min-jae, you must also ask the question: why would Kompany field a player who was clearly struggling? It would be highly unlikely that Kompany would not have been aware of Min-jae’s discomfort and as a former player himself, would know that, if not addressed, could have long-term effects.

GGFN | Jamie Allen