Josip Stanisic called up for Croatia: how Bayern plan to use the defender | OneFootball

FC Bayern continues to worry about its defense. Now, the national team nomination of Josip Stanisic is sparking new discussions.

Although the defender recently suffered a partial tear of his medial ligament, Josip Stanisic has been called up by national coach Zlatko Dalic to the provisional squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. According to information from BILD, however, the nomination is not yet final—so far, it is only a preliminary selection. The final decision on the squad will be made in the coming days.

Currently, Josip Stanisic is undergoing rehabilitation training. At FC Bayern, it was originally expected that the 25-year-old would only be fit for action again after the international break. The club’s medical department is in close contact with the player and the Croatian federation to jointly decide on a possible release. They are carefully weighing whether an appearance makes sense—from both a sporting and health perspective.

Stanisic suffered the injury during the Champions League match against Chelsea. The defender had to be substituted at halftime. While he initially said himself that it was “nothing dramatic,” a partial tear of the medial ligament was later diagnosed, forcing Josip Stanisic to take a break.

Bayern hopes for Stanisic’s return after the international break

Photo: IMAGO

Dalic’s decision was all the more surprising: For the matches against the Czech Republic (October 9) and Gibraltar (October 12), Josip Stanisic is now in the 24-man squad. At the same time, the federation published a list of possible replacements—apparently as a precaution in case Stanisic is not fit in time.

Vincent Kompany also commented on his player’s situation before the Bundesliga match in Hoffenheim. The Bayern coach explained: “The international break is coming up. It could be enough for him to be back after that.” Accordingly, an appearance for Croatia might come too soon.

The personnel situation in defense remains tense: Alphonso Davies is out with a cruciate ligament tear, Hiroki Ito is missing with a metatarsal fracture. Minjae Kim and Raphael Guerreiro have also recently been sidelined with injuries.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.