Bayern Munich: Injuries emerge as Kovac's first real challenge at his new club
It should have been a lovely afternoon after their home win in the Allianz Arena, but Niko Kovac will have his worries after Bayern's 3:1 triumph against Bayer Leverkusen and will face his first real challenge as Bayern Munich's new Coach in the following weeks.
What happened?
After Tolisso's beautiful equalizer in the 10th minute of the game, he suffered a torn ACL after a challenge with Leverkusen's Kevin Volland minutes before halftime (James Rodriguez had to replace him and scored Bayern's third goal in the 89th minute). The coach and the fans still had the hope that the injury was not going to be that serious, but FC Bayern Munich confirmed yesterday evening that Tolisso is expected to be out for "several months."
Terrible news for Tolisso after he seemed to find his position within the team after winning the World Cup with France earlier this summer. Replacing him will not be the most laborious task for Nico Kovac thanks to his options in the central midfield. Bad enough, it was not the only injury for Bayern Munich on this day.
Leverkusen's Karim Bellarabi received a straight red card after a brutal tackle on Bayern's Rafinha. Hoennes, the president of the German football club did not hold back and said "Bellarabi's foul was sick and stupid. That was an assault. He should be suspended for three months". The club described the fullback's injury as "ligament damage," and he will be out of action for "a number of weeks."
It means Kovac has one less option after he saw Juan Bernat leaving to PSG before the deadline of the summer transfer window. It seems like FC Bayern Munich is unlucky with injuries at the beginning of this new season. Kingsley Coman just underwent another surgery on his left ankle after an injury in their opening game against TSG Hoffenheim.
Things could be more comfortable for Bayern before heading to Portugal for their first Champions League game this season against Benfica Lissabon. Niko Kovac will have to find solutions before Wednesday's game (Kick-off: 09.00pm).