Bayern Munich assistant coach Aaron Danks knew he would need to address it fairly early in his press conference, so he gave an update on where things stand with sick and injured head coach Vincent Kompany.
“Vincent has a virus. It’s important that he rests. He’s at home resting. We take it day by day. We’re in constant communication. He’ll play his role and part in the game—whether that’s at the Allianz Arena or not, we’ll have to wait and see,” said Danks (as captured by iMiaSanMia). “It has affected
his legs at times; he found some pain in his legs. It’s just a virus. The doctors know way more than I do. The most important thing is that he rests and takes the time he needs. I don’t know whether that will be tomorrow or 2–3 days. We’re taking it day by day.
“For me, not much changes. I plan the training sessions every day. Obviously we miss Vincent, but we have a strong coaching team, and we know what needs to be done. We need to stay calm and keep the players’ energy high so they are ready tomorrow.”
Maybe more importantly, Danks was also quizzed about the status of midfielder Joshua Kimmich, who missed training due to “personal reasons.”
“Josh was absent today for personal reasons. I’m not sure at the moment what that means for tomorrow,” Danks said.
That response is interesting and does—at least—shed a little doubt on whether or not Kimmich will play vs. Arsenal in the Champions League.
When it comes to Manuel Neuer, who was battling a foot injury but did participate in Tuesday’s training, Danks did not reveal much.
“We haven’t made a decision yet. Manu has been back on the grass for two days, which is fantastic. We’ll meet as a coaching team, speak to Vince, and speak to the goalkeeping coach. At the moment there’s no decision made, but it’s great that Manu is back,” Danks noted.
Finally, Danks said that he respects Arsenal, but does see a way for his squad to pull out a victory.
“For us, it’s about imposing our style of play on the game. We have to trust our habits, our principles, and what we do. We know Arsenal are a fantastic defensive team. It’ll be a high-level game. You have to be prepared for everything with them because they’re very well coached,” Danks remarked.
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