Bayern suffer injury blow ahead of Madrid clash

Bayern will be a man down in their defense with central defender Mats Hummels unavailable to play due to injury

A convincing 4-1 win was the perfect result for Bayern this past weekend. Heading into a massive clash against Spanish giants Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, Bayern proved that they are more than ready. Despite playing it safe and resting a few key players, an unfortunate injury did take place for the Bavarians.

After not starting the match, defender Mats Hummels was substituted on with just 11 minutes left. He had quite an uneventful appearance, completing six of six passes and making no tackles. The problem for Hummels, however, came in training following the match in training.

It was reported and later confirmed by coach Carlo Ancelotti that Hummels had picked up an ankle injury and would be unable to play against Real Madrid. This comes as a big blow to Bayern, who are reduced to just five defenders to choose from, and no central defender to replace Hummels.

The match against Real Madrid will be the biggest test for Ancelotti at Bayern. There was a slight worry that Müller, Costa and Neuer would not be able to play, as these players missed the Dortmund match. Ancelotti did promise though that these players would be available for the Champions League showdown on Wednesday.

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With Hummels out, the backline for Bayern should consist of Alaba, Boateng, Javi Martinez and Lahm. If any defensive cover is needed, Rafinha could come off the bench, but that is the only real option Ancelotti has. Xabi Alonso has played as a makeshift center back this season in a back three, so that option is always on the table should an injury occur to Boateng or Martinez.

Despite missing Hummels, Bayern should have great confidence going into this match. They have just one loss since December and are in great goal scoring form. Keeping the likes of Bale and Ronaldo at bay will not be easy, but the experience and skill of the backline will certainly put Ancelotti’s mind at ease to start the match.