After suffering a minor injury, a bruise to the thigh, Dayot Upamecano was left out of Bayern Munich’s squad for Wednesday’s game versus Mainz in the DFB-Pokal.
The Frenchman wasn’t benched, but rather completely left out of the squad that dominated in a 4-0 win. However, according to board member for sport Max Eberl, there is a solid chance Upamecano could make his return this weekend against Union Berlin.
“I assume [Upamecano will be available on Saturday]. That’s why we left him out today. Now we have to see day by day,” Eberl replied to questions about the defender’s status (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
Upamecano’s absence may not have been devastating for Bayern, but the club could always use the Frenchman’s skill at the backline, despite his occasional blunders. Against Mainz, Bayern coach Vincent Kompany resorted to playing Konrad Laimer as a center-back, and in fact ended the game with a back four that consisted of Joshua Kimmich, Laimer, Leon Goretzka, and Raphaël Guerreiro. If all defenders were available, though, such creativity may not be necessary.
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