Bayern Munich transfer target Konrad Laimer out six weeks with injury for RB Leipzig

RB Leipzig midfielder Konrad Laimer picked up an injury in his team’s 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund last Saturday. The one-time Bayern Munich target and apparent favorite of Bayern head coach Julian Nagelsmann will now be out for a lengthy spell.

Laimer’s absence spells trouble for Die Roten Bullen, who have zero points out of two games in the Champions League group stages so far and face Scottish champions Celtic in their next midweek fixture. The Red Bull outfit have lost to Real Madrid and Shakhtar Donetsk so far — the latter in a shock 1-4 trouncing at home on matchday 1. And one week after their big win over new coach Marco Rose’s previous team Dortmund, they were crushed this Saturday by Rose’s team before that — Borussia Mönchengladbach:

#RBL : Konrad Laimer @RBLeipzig will miss up to six weeks due to injury.

Per Reuters, Leipzig clarified that Laimer’s injury is to his ankle ligament:

“Konrad Laimer injured his left ligament in the 3-0 home win against Borussia Dortmund last Saturday and will be sidelined for several weeks,” the club said in a statement.

Laimer was a hot topic for Bayern in the closing days and weeks of the summer transfer window, but the club’s depth in central midfield has proven sturdy so far this season. Joshua Kimmich is as ever the ironman, and around him, Marcel Sabitzer, Leon Goretzka, and Ryan Gravenberch have all proved their mettle in both attacking and defensive phases of the game.

Instead, it’s at defense where a run of injuries has asked questions of squad depth at Bayern. Laimer’s contract still expires in 2023, and he shows no signs of renewing soon for Red Bull — but for now and in the near future, Bayern are poised to turn their attentions elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Leipzig will have their own issues to sort out after their shellacking at the hands of Gladbach. The RB club turned down a sizable transfer fee to hold onto their midfield engine for one more season — but their place in the table come January could cause a revised valuation.