"Are you serious?".
Japanese defender Hiroki Ito suffered a midfoot injury during the home match against St. Pauli in the 27th round of the 2023-2024 Bundesliga season on March 29 (Korean time).
The following day, on the 30th, it was officially announced that "Ito has been diagnosed with a midfoot fracture again. A return this season is impossible." He had previously sustained an injury in the same area during a preseason match last summer, underwent surgery, and made a return after about seven months but collapsed again.
The German media outlet 'TZ' reported on the 30th, "The Munich medical staff brought players back from injury too quickly, which caused problems. Ito returned to running training just two months after the first fracture and ultimately had to undergo a second surgery."
The media noted that this doesn’t stop with Ito’s case. 'TZ' pointed out that "Another Munich defender, Dayot Upamecano, has been playing despite having knee and hip pain. Alfonso Davies, who suffered an injury from a collision, had a torn anterior cruciate ligament, but Upamecano has been experiencing accumulating overload throughout the season," raising doubts about whether the Munich medical staff is adequately caring for players' injuries.
Kim Min-jae is no exception. He has been complaining of Achilles tendon pain since last October but has not been able to rest. In fact, he recorded the second-most playing time in the team after Joshua Kimmich. Recently absent due to an ankle injury, he returned to the starting lineup after about two weeks.
German 'TZ' stated, "Munich's medical staff leaves the decision on players' participation to manager Vincent Kompany. There are hardly any cases where the manager's judgment is rejected," indicating that the game schedule and the manager’s judgment take precedence over player condition.
Given the cases of Ito and Upamecano, there are concerns that Kim Min-jae, if he continues this way, could fall into a serious injury slump.
Munich's defense has effectively collapsed. Davies and Ito have both been ruled out for the season, and Upamecano's return schedule is uncertain. The only remaining left-back is Raphael Guerreiro. The burden of being responsible for the entire defense is falling heavily on Kim Min-jae.
'TZ' pointed out, "When Ito was injured, Kim Min-jae comforted that fellow player. Ito is out for the season, but Kim Min-jae must play until the end. Despite suffering from injuries for a long time, Kim Min-jae cannot rest until the season ends. Ultimately, this is a problem that Bayern must deal with."
The media emphasized, "To win the league, manager Kompany must build the defense. Upamecano, Davies, and even Ito have suffered injuries. From Bayern's perspective, blocking world-class strikers is essential to win the UEFA Champions League (UCL). For this, Kim Min-jae is absolutely necessary," they sighed.
They continued, "Kim Min-jae's speed is essential for Bayern. He is even realizing the team's backward build-up. Despite being such an important player, he has been forced to play with Achilles tendonitis since last October. Even though he hasn’t played in A-matches with the national team, he is playing for Bayern."
'TZ' expressed concern, "Even against relegation-threatened St. Pauli, Kim Min-jae played not in his best condition. If Kim Min-jae doesn't play, slower players like Diana Starasich must come in. If Kim Min-jae cannot play in the UCL, it would definitely be catastrophic."
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