Football

Bayern captain Neuer, Gnabry to miss home game against Heidenheim

MUNICH: Bayern Munich captain and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will miss their Bundesliga game with Heidenheim due to an issue with his ribs, manager Vincent Kompany said on Friday.

Neuer, who was given a two-game German Cup ban for 'unsportsmanlike conduct' in Tuesday's 1-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, did not train with the team on Friday.

"Manuel Neuer has discomfort with his ribs. It also looks like Serge Gnabry won't be involved either. Aleksandar Pavlovic is available," Kompany told reporters.

"Pavlo is available. There's no limit on how long he can play. He's not played for a while, but he's available."

Neuer and Gnabry's absences have added to a growing injury crisis at Bayern, with midfielder Joao Palhinha and striker Harry Kane also injured, but Kompany issued a positive update on Kane.

The England captain, who has netted 20 goals across all competitions, suffered a thigh muscle injury in last week's 1-1 league draw at Borussia Dortmund and there were concerns he could be sidelined for the remainder of the season.

"Things are looking good. I don't want to give a timeline and put our medical team under pressure. It could well be that he plays again this year. But everything needs to go perfectly," Kompany said of Kane.

Despite their defeat to Leverkusen in the German Cup, Bayern are firmly in control in the Bundesliga and are unbeaten after 12 games with 30 points, four more than second-placed Eintracht Frankfurt.

They will fancy their chances of maintaining that unbeaten streak when they take on relegation-threatened Heidenheim, who have lost their last four league games.

However, Kompany warned against complacency, pointing to the fact that Heidenheim had finished eighth last season and were good enough to qualify for the UEFA Conference League.

"They're playing in Europe. It's always tough to be competitive in both competitions. What Heidenheim have done over the last 20 years is good," Kompany said.

"They're a very solid club. They won't panic now. We don't differentiate in how we prepare. It'll be another important game for us." - REUTERS

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