The national player was recently moved to the right-back position. Now there could be a forced roll backwards.
Joshua Kimmich has not been able to convince in the defensive midfield in the last few months. Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel reacted and placed him at right-back in the last three games against Leipzig, Freiburg and Lazio Rome.
Kimmich had already worked successfully there at the beginning of his career. This time too, this measure paid off from Bavaria’s perspective. With the exception of the Freiburg game (2:2), the national player was convincing in his “new old” role.
Pavlović is out suspended
Tuchel therefore relied on Leon Goretzka and Aleksandar Pavlović in the six-man position in these games. Now Munich’s coach is forced to make a change. Pavlović received his fifth yellow card at SC Freiburg last week. He will therefore be missing on Saturday in the record champions’ home game against FSV Mainz (3:30 p.m. in the t-online live ticker).
This could now cause Tuchel to take a backwards role. Will he bring Kimmich back to his traditional favorite position at headquarters? It is at least an option that Tuchel needs to think about. But not the only one. The coach, who is leaving in the summer, would still have Raphaël Guerreiro and Konrad Laimer available as alternatives for the position in defensive midfield.
One thing is certain: Kimmich’s near future lies in the role of full-back. National coach Julian Nagelsmann had also announced that the 29-year-old would play at right back in the national team in the future. However, it is possible that Kimmich will have to help out in Bayern’s midfield again at short notice.