Bayern Munich have “full confidence” in Dutch youngster Ryan Gravenberch

This hasn’t been a banner inaugural season for Ryan Gravenberch at Bayern Munich, admittedly. A sought-after teenage wonderkid while at AFC Ajax, Gravenberch has been relegated to largely bench duty for the Bavarians under Julian Nagelsmann.

But fans only need to think back to last year, when both Marcel Sabitzer and Dayot Upamecano — who arrived from the Bundesliga’s RB Leipzig and not the Netherlands’ Eredivisie — took their time getting used to the greater demands of training and playing at at FC Bayern. Both have now more than shown their quality and importance to the team.

And Bayern sporting director Hasan “Brazzo” Salihamidžic is keeping an upbeat view.

“Ryan did well in preseason,” Brazzo said in an interview for Sport Bild (via @iMiaSanMia). “He didn’t have a lot of playing time, but we have full confidence in him. I’m certain he will play more games in the coming months.”

In what must have been a bitter disappointment, the 20-year-old midfielder wasn’t among Louis van Gaal’s Dutch national team call-ups for this year’s FIFA Men’s World Cup. But the break will have afforded Gravenberch some more time to work on his own game and integrate into Nagelsmann’s plans for the second half of the season — and beyond.