Will Pep Guardiola turn to Gianluca Gaudino in the DFL Supercup?

A few days before the DFL Supercup against Borussia Dortmund kicks off, we already know that Franck Ribery, Rafinha, Thiago Alcantara, and Mitchell Weiser will miss the match through injury. However, the question of which World Cup returnees would play remains. It looks like we have an idea of how that decision will be made.

"On Tuesday the doctor will decide who can play," Pep Guardiola told the media after Saturday's training session. "Then, I'll come to a decision. The players trained for the first time today."

So, it appears as though famed Bayern physio Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt will get the first decision on which players are ready to take the field on Wednesday. Since the DFL Supercup is nothing more than a glorified friendly, this is a fantastic decision by the club. Allowing Müller-Wohlfahrt to decide if the payers are fit to play takes the initial decision out of the hands of the player and Guardiola.

This leads to speculation that Guardiola will turn to 17 year old Gianluca Gaudino to man the middle of the field. The Spaniard has been full of praise for the club's U19 player so far this preseason, and we've seen him feature in all of Bayern's friendlies with the World Cup players out. Gaudino has played very well and is earning praise from his coach.

"He is quicker mentally than the other players. ... In recent games, he's played outstanding. That's why he remains with us for the next few weeks. He usually plays with the U19 but training with Philipp, Basti, and the others is the best thing for his development."

We'll have to wait and see which players Müller-Wohlfahrt deems not fit before knowing whether or not Gaudino is likely to play, but I for one wouldn't be against seeing the young kid get a run out against the toughest opponents that he will have yet faced. He looks like he might be the future.