Werder Bremen vs Bayern Munich: Lineups, team news, Alaba doubtful, the return of Pavard, and more! (Updated)

It’s been about a week since Bayern Munich faced off against Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, and the table is still as tight as ever. Wins are at a premium, with only two points separating first and second at the moment.

Now that RB Leipzig are also out of the Champions League, Bayern will have an even tougher time keeping ahead of them in the Bundesliga. The first step would be to keep collecting three points, especially against teams like Werder Bremen. Werder are usually a punching bag for Bayern, but they managed a draw against the Bavarians in the Hinrunde. Hansi Flick will be looking to correct that error, hopefully with a suitably strong lineup.

Team news

David Alaba is potentially out for the game — Hansi Flick confirmed that he had muscular problems and missed training. He’s still being assessed and could make the trip to Bremen, but starting the game might be too risky for the Austrian. Tanguy Nianzou and Alex Nubel are working on their comebacks, while Jerome Boateng has returned to full team training after the injury he I received against BVB. Finally, Benjamin Pavard is back in team training after recovering from COVID-19.

So how will the coach line up his players? Well, scoring was a huge problem against Bremen in the Hinrunde, so Hansi will be looking to get his best attackers out there to make the strongest push possible. That means Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller up top, flanked by Kingsley Coman and Leroy Sane. Serge Gnabry and Jamal Musiala will likely be saved for the midweek game against Lazio.

As for the midfield, expect no changes. Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka are bossing it, and they will not be rested when points are on the line. If Bayern take the lead early though, a substitute appearance for either Marc Roca or Javi Martinez could be in the cards.

Finally, the defense. This seems like a great opportunity to start Lucas Hernandez, given that Alaba’s fitness is questionable. He can take the Austrian’s usual position at left center-back, with Alphonso Davies at left-back. Jerome Boateng will likely start at right center-back due to a lack of better options, while Niklas Sule (who missed several trainings this week) is likely to get a 60 minute cameo at right-back. The big man will probably get subbed for Pavard around the hour mark, and rest against Lazio in midweek.

So, with all of that in mind, here’s the lineup Hansi Flick will probably choose tomorrow:

By the way, if you like listening to previews, check out our podcast!

Update

Bild says that Pavard and Gnabry will start: