When new Bayern Munich signing Hiroki Itō went down in a friendly against FC Düren, there were worries about the Japanese international. But even the most pessimistic of fans were negatively surprised when it turned out that Itō had suffered a broken foot and would be out for up to 3 months. Speaking during João Palhinha’s official unveiling and asked about potential further investment as result of this injury, as captured by @iMiaSanMia, Bayern’s Director of Sport Max Eberl acknowledged the tragedy of the situation but hinted at potential internal solutions:
“It’s just unfortunate when a player gets injured, and when it’s a new signing, it’s even worse. But it doesn’t change our strategy. We also have a few guys from the campus in training who are very willing to learn and are a great asset. This is the only way to create opportunities for young players to get playing time.”
Given that Itō can cover both the CB and LB positions, the likes of Tarek Buchmann (if he himself is fit enough) or Adam Aznou come to mind as potential replacement for the former VfB Stuttgart player. Javier Fernandez and Noel Aseko Nkili also filled in at CB against Düren, so they may have an outside shot of being replacements, but it seems very unlikely to happen.