Bad news for FC Bayern! Two days before the Bundesliga home game against 1. FC Union Berlin, the German record champions reported the loss of another regular: Benjamin Pavard was infected with the corona virus.
“Benjamin Pavard has tested positive for the corona virus. The FC Bayern defender is in isolation at home, he’s doing well,” said the Munich team on Thursday in a message on “fcbayern.com“.
This also exacerbates the defensive worries on Säbener Straße: the table leader had previously announced that Niklas Süle would be out with a torn muscle fibre. In addition, Alphonso Davies has been missing for weeks. The Canadian has been struggling with the consequences of heart muscle inflammation since corona disease.
FC Bayern only has three fit central defenders left
With Dayot Upamecano, Lucas Hernández and the young Tanguy Nianzou, FC Bayern only have three central defenders left from the professional squad at the weekend.
For Pavard, it is already the second compulsory break due to the corona virus: the Frenchman tested positive for the first time in mid-February 2021. At that time he was out for 20 days.
In the current season, Pavard has played 28 competitive games for FC Bayern (two assists). Only at the beginning of the season was the French international unable to play due to an ankle injury. The 25-year-old also served a red suspension on matchdays 7 and 8. In 2022, Pavard hasn’t missed a single second.
The failures of Pavard and Sül come at the wrong time for FC Bayern. After BVB narrowly won their catch-up game against 1. FSV Mainz 05 on Wednesday, the lead of the series champions is “only” four points. A slip-up against Union Berlin would make the championship fight really exciting again. Provided, of course, that Dortmund win their game.