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Bayern Munich came into their final game of the Hinrunde with a mere 11 healthy field players from the first team. Besides Jerome Boateng, the bench consisted entirely of youth players. As fate — or the injury gods — would have it, Boateng was called into action when Javi Martinez, playing center-back, appeared to suffer a non-contact muscular injury to his right thigh as he raced to save a ball from a corner.
Martinez mulled up and was unable to prevent the ball from rolling across the line. It was immediately obvious that he would have to leave the pitch injured. Bayern’s physios helped him limp off the pitch and down the tunnel.
In a gesture of sportsmanship, Wolfsburg’s Maximilian Arnold played Wolfsburg’s corner out of bounds, and Bayern returned the favor by sending the ball back to Koen Casteels.
It is unclear what exactly Martinez’s injury is, but we will update his status when more is known.
Update
Dr. Müller-Wohlfahrt, who was actually waiting for Robert Lewandowski, told Sport1 that the injury is “rather serious”:
.@Javi8martinez verlässt auf Krücken die Arena. Dr. Müller-Wohlfahrt, der eigentlich auf Lewy wartet, verrät @SPORT1, dass es bei Javi doch eine etwas schwerere Verletzung ist. #FCBWOB
— Stefan Kumberger (@__Kumbi__) December 21, 2019
Here is Javi leaving the stadium on crutches:
Der nächste Verletzte. #FCBWOB pic.twitter.com/lcTC4GyPJU
— Kerry Hau (@kerry_hau) December 21, 2019
Update #2
Hansi Flick confirms that Martinez has a severe muscle injury and will be out for six weeks.
Laut Flick @SkySportDE fällt @Javi8martinez 6 Wochen aus! Schwere Muskelverletzung@FCBayern @SkySportNewsHD
— Torben Hoffmann (@Sky_Torben) December 21, 2019