Bayern Munich’s patient approach paying dividends with Serge Gnabry

According to a report from Sport Bild’s Tobi Altschäffl, Bayern Munich have been carefully managing winger Serge Gnabry’s return to the lineup following early season injury struggles. Via @iMiaSanMia:

Serge Gnabry played with adductor problems against Stuttgart (Aug 14). Following a disappointing performance, the coaching staff and the player decided that it makes no sense for him to start games while struggling with pain, which would bring unnecessary debates.

Following a streak of games starting on the bench, Gnabry is now back to full fitness and rediscovered his best form.

This makes Gnabry the first of Bayern’s attackers to enter the musical chair of injury issues the team has faced this season, and also casts in interesting light a Sport1 report from late September suggesting that the team brass and coach Julian Nagelsmann were “concerned” and “helpless” at his inconsistent form.

By contrast, the new information suggests that Gnabry’s struggles with muscular issues were well-known behind the scenes, and equally well-managed. Now that he is fully fit again — and just in time to lead Germany into the World Cup — Gnabry is once again at his best, and proving that rushing back from pain isn’t always the most productive option in the long term.

Bayern will hope to have all of their forwards fit for the Rückrunde and the Champions League knockouts — Sadio Mané being the latest to fall, with Thomas Müller still inching his way back. Fingers crossed, and if that happens, Nagelsmann will have quite the selection conundrum come January.