This archive report was first published on 28 October 2019.
Bayern Munich's German Cup second round tie against VfL Bochum on Tuesday has been dealt a blow with the news that defender Javi Martinez will miss the match due to a muscle injury.
Coach Niko Kovac confirmed the news on Monday, stating that Martinez was not yet fit to return to action.
“Javi is not yet fit. He looks more likely to be an option for the weekend,” Kovac told reporters.
Bayern are already without defenders Niklas Suele and Lucas Hernandez, who are sidelined with cruciate ligament and ankle ligament injuries respectively.
Despite the injury concerns, Kovac remains under pressure to deliver results, with Bayern currently second in the league, a point behind Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Speculation about a potential successor has been rife in the media, but Kovac has called for coaches to be given more time to prove themselves.
“At the end of the day you need continuity. To learn the colleagues, the rhythms. With us coaches this does not seem to be the case,” Kovac said.
Published on October 28, 2019, at 19:30 UTC.
