FC Augsburg's Bundesliga home match against Bayern Munich kicks off at 15:30 CET on Saturday at the WWK ARENA. The Fuggerstädter will be without the injured Robert Gumny, while Raphael Weiser could make a long-awaited return to the squad after 14 months out.
Injury Blow and Hopeful Return
Manager Jess Thorup is forced to plan without defender Robert Gumny, who suffered a muscle fibre tear in training and is expected to be sidelined for several weeks. There is better news regarding Raphael Weiser. The full-back suffered a cruciate ligament rupture 14 months ago and has now returned to full team training. "It's a great feeling to be training with the team again," said the 30-year-old. While a place in the matchday squad against Bayern is not yet guaranteed, it is considered a possibility.
The Stakes
Augsburg go into the match following a 2-2 draw away to 1. FC Köln. Jess Thorup's side sits comfortably in mid-table in the current standings. The visitors from Munich, however, arrive at the WWK ARENA after two games without a win and are under pressure. Bayern have won the last five meetings between the two sides, with the most recent ending 2-1 in October.
Thorup's Likely Setup
In Gumny's absence, Felix Uduokhai and Jeffrey Gouweleeuw are expected to form the centre-back partnership. Mads Pedersen and Kevin Mbabu are the probable starters in the full-back roles. In midfield, Thorup is likely to rely on the established pairing of Arne Maier and Elvis Rexhbecaj. Up front, Ermedin Demirović and Phillip Tietz are the primary attacking threats. The full overview of the available squad lists all options.
Kick-off is scheduled for Saturday at 15:30 CET. A win against the record champions could push Augsburg further towards the upper half of the table. The next challenge after the Bayern match is an away trip to face Borussia Mönchengladbach the following weekend.
