Leon Goretzka’s return to the Bayern Munich pitch looks tough, but Lothar Matthäus is not worried

Per earlier reports, Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka looks to be back on the pitch in mid-September. He has certainly a taxing journey ahead, as there is fierce competition for his spot. While he is working hard to establish his position again as he recovers after his knee surgery, in his absence, Marcel Sabitzer put a solid case forward, showcasing his reliability and abilities. He did well alongside Joshua Kimmich, playing cleverly and strategically.

Goretzka is no stranger to knee problems. In mid-July, he underwent knee surgery in Innsbruck due to an abnormality spotted on the left knee. The doctors chose to take the minimally invasive route by doing an arthroscopic procedure and the procedure was successful.

In training last week, Goretzka was a mere spectator in the team training sessions, as he witnessed his teammates sweat it out on the pitch from the office balcony, per Abendzeitung. However, the midfielder was not idle all day, he was seen pedaling hard on the ergometer.

While the question remains whether the German international can regain his undisputed starting spot for the Bavarians, Lothar Matthäus is not worried about Goretzka’s return, asserting that the 26-year-old has experience in bouncing back from injuries involving long breaks.

The world-cup winner also had praise for the Sabitzer’s performances. “Sabitzer has contributed very well to the team so far and is showing convincing performances,” he said.

Matthäus believes that Julian Nagelsmann will need all midfielders over the course of the season. “There are different types of players, that’s good for Nagelsmann,” he said. However, he also argues that Goretzka is far more dangerous than Sabitzer in the box-to-box role and that he is making a very strong comeback.

A similar case is building in the German national team — Jamal Musiala has shone in the recent months in midfield along with Joshua Kimmich and has an assured starting spot in Hansi Flick’s Germany squad in the Qatar World Cup. This increases the pressure on Goretzka, who was previously untouchable. “The competition is now also increasing in the national team. Musiala is developing outstandingly,” Matthäus said. To this, he sees the potential solution to be to play Musiala and Goretzka together since the youngster is more offensive minded.

What do you think will be Goretzka’s fate in both Bayern and the National Team? Let us know in the comments.