Champions League
Tuchel’s hesitation with Old Trafford fan Musiala: “Small limit”
Jamal Musiala is eager to play against Manchester United. photo
© Richard Sellers/PA Wire/dpa
Harry Kane is of course guaranteed a starting eleven against Manchester United by the Bayern coach. And Jamal Musiala? Thomas Tuchel weighs up the pros and cons.
Not only for Harry Kane, games in England are also special for Jamal Musiala.
The German international, who was largely trained as a footballer at Chelsea FC until he moved to FC Bayern Munich at the age of 16, is, like England’s national team captain Kane, eager to play in the Champions League on Tuesday (9 p.m./Prime Video). -Game against Manchester United.
“When I was younger I always enjoyed watching games at Old Trafford,” Musiala said on Monday evening before training at the famous stadium. The 20-year-old hopes that after his thigh injury and a brief appearance in the 5-1 defeat in the Bundesliga against Eintracht Frankfurt, which was “a bit shocking” for him, he can start from the start.
“I feel good. I’ve trained very hard to be fit again,” said Musiala in Manchester: “But there will definitely be a small limit on my minutes.” Coach Thomas Tuchel confirmed this idea a little later: “It’s not enough for him for 90 minutes.”
Tuchel doesn’t want to risk anything
In contrast to striker Kane, who will of course start and is very much looking forward to the game in his home country, Tuchel left Musiala open as to whether the playmaker would also be in the Munich starting lineup or come off the bench again. “He can start, then we know that he can play a maximum of 60 minutes,” explained Tuchel.
With Musiala, who has recently become more prone to injury, Tuchel doesn’t want to take any risks with a view to the important end of the year in the Bundesliga with the games against VfB Stuttgart and VfL Wolfsburg. “It can also help Jamal to play 30 minutes and then start on Sunday,” said the Bayern coach, describing his thoughts.
After all, Bayern have no pressure in the table at Old Trafford after already having qualified for the round of 16 as group winners. But both the coach and his players feel the pressure of having to show a convincing performance after Frankfurt’s collective failure. “There is an opportunity to show a reaction on one of the biggest stages in the world,” said Tuchel.
“For me personally, a game in Manchester is always a big game,” announced the former Chelsea coach. This also applies to goal scorer Kane and playmaker Musiala. “It’s an important game for us,” said Musiala.