VfB Stuttgart vs Bayern Munich: Lineups, team news, running out of midfielders, and more! (Updated)

After all the excitement of the Champions League draw, I’ll forgive you if you’d forgotten that we have a game on Tuesday. In an example of some wacky scheduling, Bayern Munich are set for a grueling end to the 2021 Bundesliga Hinrunde — a midweek game against VfB Stuttgart followed by a Friday night finisher against Wolfsburg.

Julian Nagelsmann has a tough task getting all six points from the final two games. But then again, if he wanted an easy job, he shouldn’t have come to Bayern Munich.

Team news

So in terms of midfielders ... we have no midfielders. Just to recap:

• Joshua Kimmich is a clown.
• Leon Goretzka joined the Avengers.
• Corentin Tolisso used up his free trial of fitness.
• Jamal Musiala was copyright claimed by Disney.
• Marc Roca is merely a concept.
• Michael Cuisance is still himself.

So, what can the coach do? Will Manuel Neuer finally get to play in midfield? Well not exactly. Let’s do our best to guess who will play.

In attack, don’t expect any changes. Nagelsmann has been very consistent in his lack of rotation. Robert Lewandowski can start up top, and if trends continue then he will be ignored by Leroy Sane and Kingsley Coman on the wings. Thomas Muller will likely start at the #10 position, and he’ll try his best to supply the best player in the world with some actual service.

The midfield is a disaster, but reports indicate that Jamal Musiala and Marc Roca could start together for the first time. Musiala might play with a splint on his finger depending on the level of pain. If not, then other options like Tanguy Nianzou or a newly fit (potentially rushed back) Marcel Sabitzer could be considered.

The defense will be critical for this game, because they will not only have to provide cover to Manuel Neuer’s goal but also progress the ball and control possession in the absence of a proper midfield. Niklas Sule may be preferred over Dayot Upamecano due to his passing and dribbling, while Lucas Hernandez cannot be benched because he is Bayern’s best defender at the moment. Alphonso Davies and Benjamin Pavard will almost certainly play at the left and right-back spots respectively.

Here’s what the starting XI could look like:

Update

Here’s what Bild thinks the lineup will be. They leave out Sule and Coman.

By the way, we have a podcast on all things Bayern Munich, where we did a review of the whole UCL Ro16 draw and ALSO included a quick preview of the Stuttgart game. Check it out below or at this link.

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