Kim Min-jae rapidly recovers from injury, rejoins Bayern training ahead of key matches

Kim Min-jae (29, Bayern Munich) is showing a rapid recovery from his Achilles injury. Local reports in Germany predict that he will be able to play in most of Bayern's upcoming key matches.

The German football magazine Kicker reported on the 25th (Korea time), "Kim Min-jae has returned to Bayern training more quickly than expected. He is preparing to manage important schedules in the second half of the season."

On that day, Bayern released images of first team training through its official website. Kim Min-jae participated in training with Thomas Müller, Serge Gnabry, and Raphaël Guerreiro. The training was conducted mainly for players who were excluded from the national team roster during the A match period.

Kim Min-jae reportedly joined in training with a bright expression and completed the session normally.

Bayern will face São Paulo in a home match for the 27th round of the 2024-2025 Bundesliga on the 29th.

Kim Min-jae was included in the March A match roster but was released from the roster due to Achilles pain.

Bayern's coach Vincent Kompany noted on the 14th, ahead of the match against Union Berlin, "Kim Min-jae could be out for the next few weeks," and at that time, a recovery period of more than three weeks was anticipated. However, Kim Min-jae made an appearance at the training ground after about ten days.

The Korea Football Association officially announced on the 15th, the day after Kompany's statement, that "Kim Min-jae has been diagnosed with left Achilles tendonitis and needs recovery," thereby excluding him from the March A match roster. Consequently, head coach Hong Myung-bo selected Kim Joo-sung (Seoul) as a replacement ahead of the two World Cup Asian qualifiers (Oman, Jordan).

There was also controversy regarding Kim Min-jae's injury. Head coach Hong Myung-bo expressed his dissatisfaction publicly during the national team roster announcement press conference, stating, "Kim Min-jae is an important player for both Korea and Bayern. However, Bayern did not take appropriate protective measures in advance."

Meanwhile, German media Kicker quickly reported on his remarks, claiming, "Coach Hong publicly criticized Bayern."

In the A matches where Kim Min-jae was absent, Korea drew 1-1 with both Oman and Jordan. Analysis suggests that defensive instability was the cause of the draws. The absence of Kim Min-jae was notably felt.

Kim Min-jae's return is positive news for Bayern. Bayern has recorded 62 points in 26 league matches and is currently leading, but they failed to secure victories in the last two matches without Kim Min-jae. Second-place Bayer Leverkusen (56 points) is closely pursuing, making defensive stability urgent.

Additionally, Bayern has advanced to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League. They will clash with Inter Milan on the 9th and 17th of next month in home-and-away matches for a semifinal ticket. Kim Min-jae's return is undoubtedly welcome for Bayern, which is aiming to reclaim its status at the top of Europe.

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