Report: Niklas Süle ruled out for remainder of Bundesliga season, Coutinho back on the pitch

Niklas Süle, an undisputed starter in the Bayern defense when fit, suffered an ACL injury in October, effectively ruling him out for the rest of the season. According to a report by kicker (via AZ), it has been confirmed that Süle will not feature in any of the remaining Bundesliga games.

The defender has been in intensive training for some time and was spotted once again on the pitch, completing sprints and practicing with the ball. It is possible that he remains a bit rusty, and Bayern do not want to rush him back from a long injury layoff.

Coach Flick agreed that the Süle’s comeback will be treated with caution. “We don’t want to rush anything,” he said. “We have to see how much the stability in his knee allows him.”

Bayern expects Süle to be ready to feature in the Champions League in August. This will still be a huge boost to Bayern’s UCL hopes, since Süle’s addition will be like a fresh, top-quality signing to bolster the defense.

In other news, Coutinho also returned to the pitch for some drills and training exercises. The attacking midfielder, who suffered an ankle injury in April, was initially expected to be out until July, but seems to be ahead of schedule with his recovery.