Injury shock shortly before the start of the Bundesliga: Record champions Bayern Munich will have to do without right-back Josip Stanisic (24) for weeks. The Croatian European Championship participant tore the lateral ligament in his right knee during training on Monday, as the Munich team announced on Tuesday. “He was operated on this morning. That’s a bit of bad news that we unfortunately had to hear,” said sports director Max Eberl before the test match against Grasshopper Zurich.
Stanisic returned from his loan from double winners Bayer Leverkusen in the summer and was designated for the right side of defence under coach Vincent Kompany. Joshua Kimmich should move back into midfield in the future – it is quite possible that the German international will now be used in his regular position again. This would change the apparently planned tactical concept for the new Bundesliga season. In the test match on Tuesday, talented Adam Aznou (18) was allowed to start as right-back. Konrad Laimer has also played in this position.
Meanwhile, Munich won clearly against Zurich. FC Bayern, where Leon Goretzka was ordered into the starting eleven amid discussions about his future, won its dress rehearsal against the Swiss first division club with 4:0 (1:0) goals.
New signing Michael Olise (12th), Harry Kane (46th), Mathys Tel (67th) and Thomas Müller (90th) scored the goals for coach Kompany’s team against the current bottom team in the Swiss Super League. On Sunday (3.30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and on DAZN), the Belgian will be in charge of a game in the Bundesliga for the first time as coach of the Munich team in the away game against VfL Wolfsburg.
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After not even calling him up for the cup match against SSV Ulm (4-0), Kompany put Goretzka in the starting line-up at the FC Bayern Campus stadium. The 29-year-old did not start in midfield, however, but in central defence alongside Eric Dier. In defence, the Munich team now has to compensate for two long-term absences in Hiroki Ito and Stanisic.
Goretzka, who still has a contract in Munich until summer 2026, apparently wants to stay despite a likely reserve role. According to consistent media reports, those responsible in Munich are now also assuming that the international player will stay.
The test match was arranged at short notice to give players like Kane, Olise and the new Portuguese signing Joao Palhinha more match practice. “We want to get a bit of work done, not just in training but also in games, so that we can internalise Vinnie’s new idea,” said sporting director Eberl before kick-off. Kompany’s new pressing style of play requires a different behaviour against the ball. After the final whistle, Eberl said: “It was important to have another test. There are no major conclusions to be drawn about the game on Sunday, but it is simply a positive series that we want to continue.”
It was only after a good hour that Kompany brought on the current regulars, Joshua Kimmich and Müller. Jamal Musiala was completely rested for reasons of load management. Captain Manuel Neuer was also not used.
