Neuer ready for action against Gladbach
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FC Bayern will have to make do without record-breaker Harry Kane in the home game against Borussia Mönchengladbach. On Thursday, coach Vincent Kompany confirmed the absence of the top striker. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is now fit and ready to play. The 39-year-old had missed the last two games due to a torn muscle fiber.
“Harry got a blow to his calf and hasn’t recovered yet,” explained Kompany during the press conference before the game against Gladbach (Friday, 8:30 p.m.). But there was “nothing serious for the near future,” said the coach, but the upcoming game was coming too early. According to Kompany, other Munich team failures on Friday include Hiroki Ito and Alphonso Davies.
Kane is well on his way to breaking the Bundesliga record for most goals in a season. In 2020/21, Robert Lewandowski scored 41 goals in the Munich jersey, surpassing the old record set by Bayern legend Gerd Müller (40 goals). Kane is at 30 and, excluding the game against Gladbach, still has the opportunity to score a further eleven goals in nine league games to catch up with Lewandowski.
“I’m certainly in a good position at the moment. But if you look closely at the record: Lewandowski even missed a few games, but he scored a lot of hat tricks during that time,” said Kane recently about his record hunt. The Englishman is one of eight players in Bundesliga history who have scored 30 or more goals in a season.
Kompany on Kane failure: Boys hope for their “moment”
“You see my body language, I’m pretty relaxed,” Kompany said on Friday about Kane’s loss. “Of course we would have wanted Harry there. But well, it can happen.” This is now an opportunity for other professionals with the record champions. “The boys who are there tomorrow are really looking forward to this game and are excited about it. And if Harry isn’t there, then there are probably some boys who are already hoping: Okay, now I have my moment.”
