Bayern Munich heads into this weekend’s Bundesliga matchup with SV 07 Elversberg having already navigated a busy opening stretch of the season. After the 0-0 draw against Schalke and the impressive 5-0 Champions League victory over Bodø/Glimt, Vincent Kompany has another opportunity to rotate his squad and keep his most important players fresh.
So, which players should get a rest?
Luis Díaz feels like one of the obvious candidates. The Colombian is an important part of Bayern Munich’s attack, but with
Michael Olise, Jamal Musiala, Lennart Karl, and Ismael Saibari available, Kompany has enough attacking options to give Díaz a breather. His explosiveness and work rate are valuable, but there is no reason to push him through every match this early in the campaign.
Joshua Kimmich is another player who could benefit from a day off. The midfielder is essentially the heartbeat of Bayern Munich’s midfield, and his importance makes managing his workload even more critical. With Aleksandar Pavlović and other midfield options available, this is the type of match where Kompany could afford to take Kimmich out of the equation for a full 90 minutes.
Then there is Dayot Upamecano. The French center-back has become one of Bayern Munich’s most important defensive pieces, particularly with his ability to defend large spaces behind Kompany’s high line. Giving him a rest against Elversberg would allow Jonathan Tah, Kim Min-jae, or another option to get valuable minutes while reducing the physical load on Upamecano.
Manuel Neuer is perhaps the most interesting option. At 40-years-old, Bayern Munich has to be thoughtful about how often its legendary goalkeeper plays, particularly with Jonas Urbig available. Neuer started the Champions League opener and had a relatively quiet evening in the 5-0 victory. This could be an ideal opportunity to give Urbig another competitive start.
There are certainly more than those candidates — who would you rest?
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