Upamecano could make his return against Auckland City

The French center-back hasn’t played for a couple of months, but he could be thrown straight into action in Bayern’s Club World Cup opener.

The last international break of the season was a disaster for Bayern as two key players suffered serious injuries while representing their national teams. The initial concern was that both defenders wouldn’t return until next season, but there is a positive update in the past few weeks.

While Alphonso Davies will not be back soon, Dayot Upamecano has been training with the team since the club started its preparation for the Club World Cup. According to Bild, Bayern plan to use the 26-year-old off the bench in their game against Auckland City before promoting him to the lineup when they face Boca Juniors next weekend.

The Rekordmeister added Jonathan Tah just in time for the tournament hosted in the USA, but the availability of Kim Min-jae is still uncertain because of recurring fitness issues. Max Eberl should also address Upamecano’s future at the club since his contract will run out at the end of next season.