Bayern Bulletin: Schweinsteiger's Knee, Reus's Resolve, and Højbjerg's Call-Up

Schweinsteiger DFB-Pokal Appearance "Open"

Following an early exit in Saturday's match against VfB Stuttgart, Bastian Schweinsteiger is not yet ruled out of the DFB-Pokal final, the club website calling his availability "open".

The entry of Bastian Schweinsteiger in the DFB-Pokal final against Borussia Dortmund this coming Saturday in the Olympiastadion is open. The vice-captain of the Rekordmeister is nursing an irritation to his left patella tendon.

He will undertake his own training program this week in preparation for the final, and will be evaluated day-to-day.

Schweinsteiger has dealt with ankle and knee injuries all season, deflating a follow up campaign to his German Player of the Year award in 2012/13. When he finally returned in 2014 for the Quarterfinal of the DFB-Pokal against Hamburger SV, he played 1443 of a possible 1980 minutes in midfield.

If Schweinsteiger were unable to dress, Pep Guardiola will field either Javi Martínez or Philipp Lahm, with Rafinha taking Lahm's place at fullback. Martinez has played the last three Bundesliga matches in midfield next to Schweinsteiger, while Lahm has played in midfield twice since Bayern clinched the league title.

Reus: "We are not afraid of Bayern"

Borussia Dortmund's Marco Reus displayed his resolve before the DFB-Pokal final against Bayern München in an extensive interview with kicker's Thomas Hennecke.

"I assume that the match will happen at a very high level," said Reus. "Little things will decide if we win the game. We will be very well prepared and highly motivated. We have no fear and are ready for Bayern."

Returning to Dortmund last season, Reus was not part of the yellow resurgence in 2010/11 or 2011/12. The only club titles he has been apart of are Rot Weiss Ahlen's Regionalliga title in 2008 and Dortmund's DFL Supercup in 2013.

Bayern have split the Bundesliga series with Dortmund, the two sides exchanging 3-0 victories. Reus believes the way Dortmund played in Allianz Arena in April is the key for breaking down the defending cup champions.

"When you play against Bayern, it is hard to stay in a 4-2-3-1 because in the front – against Dante or Boateng – you must block the passing lanes," said Reus. "The entire team needs to advance there. We did that well four weeks ago and put Bayern under pressure early. Only so can you survive against them; if you set up in the back, you receive bad problems. Then you eventually get a goal."

With another stellar season in Signa Iduna Park, Reus has many sniffing after his services. He has a buyout clause that activates after 2015, although the former Dortmund youth product is keen on staying ath the club until his contract runs out in 2017.

"It was always a dream to play as a professional in this stadium and for this club. After ten years in the youth system, I needed to go a step backwards to Ahlen and Mönchengladbach in order to come two steps forward. Now I am back in Dortmund, feel – once again – completely comfortable and have a contract until 2017."

Højbjerg makes Denmark Squad

A season in which Pierre-Emile Højbjerg made his first starts with Bayern may come with a reward.

Denmark manager Marten Olsen has named Højbjerg as one of the 23 players he will field in Denmark's friendlies against Hungary and Sweden at the end of May.

Højbjerg returned from a foot injury early in the season to amass a productive season with the reserves and with the senior side. He was the first of the Bayern II crop to get his name on the team sheet as an injury replacement.

With the international call-up, Højbjerg will be unavailable for Bayern II in the promotional playoff into the 3. Bundesliga, although he has not played with the reserves since the end of March.