Will Mario Götze return against Hannover 96?

Despite his return to practice this week, Mario Götze's status for the DFB Pokal still looked bleak. One quote from Pep Guardiola changed all that.

"Maybe he can play a few minutes."

What? Really? Götze will return two days after returning to training? Well, let us track back a little.

"He needs time to train. He was out more than two months, got injured again and was absent for another three weeks. But he is a good player." [Sport Bild]

There we go. Guardiola's "maybe" sounds more like "probably not", even if Götze thinks his ankle, which he injured in the UEFA Super Cup against Chelsea, is feeling better.

"I feel good and I have no more pain," Götze said to kicker. "I am excited to play football after three weeks of rehab."

While the likelihood of Götze to play may be slim, he could still find his name on the team sheet come tomorrow. It might be nice to have a firebug like Götze available off the bench, even if he is not quite 100 percent. After all, this is a one and done game against Hannover 96.

Although, giiven the amount of options already in midfield, Götze's superfluousness may keep him in the stands, at least for now.

More from Bavarian Football Works:

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• DFB Pokal Round 2: FC Bayern München vs. Hannover 96 | Preview
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• Bayern Munich: Shot efficiency as an indicator for goals and scoring this season