Bayern Munich’s Julian Nagelsmann talks rotation, potentially playing against FC Viktoria Plzeň’s deep block

Ahead of Bayern Munich’s Champions League showdown with FC Viktoria Plzeň, head coach Julian Nagelsmann addressed some of the team’s injuries and illnesses at his press conference.

“King is doing well. He’s trained today with full workload, but is not an option for tomorrow yet. He will train again in the next few days and I’m optimistic he will be an option for Dortmund, but not from the start — an option for the squad” Nagelsmann said (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “(Thomas Müller and Joshua Kimmich) have no symptoms. They feel good and they both would have liked to be training. If they test negative on Friday, they will be an option for Dortmund. Whether they can start on Saturday depends on their condition. I’m confident.”

Given those absences, a rotation will be necessary, but Nagelsmann will use the “Goldilocks” approach to his subs: Not too many...not too few...but just right.

“We have to rotate a bit, but we won’t make 7 changes. There are several ways to rotate, early subs or starting XI changes. You’ll see tomorrow how I decide. Serge (Gnabry) is definitely a candidate, I haven’t decided 100% who will play yet. I rate Serge very highly and expect him not to think too much, I want him to play freely. I put a lot of trust in him, so he can play freely.”

Nagelsmann, though, knows it could end up being tough to find a way to get through the FC Viktoria Plzeň defense.

“I expect Plzeň to defend deep. Up front they have two target men. It’s a similar idea to Augsburg. We’re trying to achieve our best possible performance in the Champions League, but of course also for the upcoming Bundesliga games,” said Nagelsmann.

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