Bayern Munich fans eager to see what impact Hiroki Ito would have made in defence would have been bitterly disappointed after the 25-year-old Japanese international suffered a metatarsal fracture during a preseason friendly against 1. FC Düren in late July.
Fast forward about two and a half months later, Ito is back in training with the ball and readying to make his first competitive start for Die Roten.
While Ito is close to a comeback, BILD reports that fans will have to exercise a bit more patience as the former VfB Stuttgart man eyes his comeback for late October (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
Since Monday, Hiroki Itō has been making important daily steps towards his comeback from his metatarsal fracture. The next Bundesliga home game against Stuttgart and the Champions League clash four days later at FC Barcelona may come a bit early for him. But it’s quite possible that Itō will be able to make his competitive debut for Bayern before the end of this month. He already seems really lively again during his rehab training sessions.
Considering how shaky Bayern’s defence has been in recent games, Ito would be a welcome addition to the backline.
That being said, diving head first into a fragile defence may not exactly be the best way to get Ito up to speed, so expect the left-footed defender to be eased back into the team slowly (bar any unforeseen injuries to Dayot Upamecano or Kim Min-jae).
Another topic of interest around Ito is what position he will be deployed in. The six foot two defender is a centre-back by tradition but can also be deployed as a left-back. Many have theorised that Kompany is planning on using the Japanese international on the left flank. Given Alphonso Davies more defensive minded approach this season, it may not be unrealistic to imagine Ito as a left-back.
Only time will tell which position Ito is deployed in and whether he will displace one of Dayot Upamecano or Kim Min-jae. In the meantime, fans can keep an eager eye on Ito’s return to first team football.
How do you feel about Hiroki Ito’s return to the first team? Will he provide the defence solidity Bayern need or are the defensive fragilities more a system issue? Also, do you think the Japanese international will be used as a centre-back, left-back or maybe a mix of both?
Let us know in the comments below!
