Bayern Munich's defense is experiencing a significant loss of power due to a series of injuries.
Leading the German Bundesliga, Bayern announced through its official website on the 27th (Korea time) the injuries of defenders Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano.
The club explained, "Davies has been confirmed to have ruptured his right knee ligament after returning from the Canadian national team call-up. Surgery is needed, and he will not be able to participate in matches for the time being. Upamecano, who played matches for the French national team, has a bone fragment found in his left knee, ruling him out for several weeks.
Max Eberl, Bayern's sports director, said, "There is always a risk of players returning injured after international matches, but this time the impact was particularly heavy," and he added, "The absence of Davies and Upamecano is a significant loss for us."
Upamecano's absence is expected to have a direct impact on Kim Min-jae's role. Kim has been stabilizing the central defense alongside Upamecano throughout the season.
Recently, Kim Min-jae was excluded from the national team call-up during the international match period due to Achilles tendonitis. He has now returned to training and is working to improve his physical condition.
Possible alternatives for Upamecano include Hiroki Ito and Eric Dier, but they are evaluated to differ from the starters in experience and defensive reading ability.
Bayern currently maintains its top position in the league with 62 points. However, second-place Bayer Leverkusen (56 points) is closely trailing, making the absence of key defenders a variable in the championship race.
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