Have enough options in defence, asserts Hansi Flick

Have enough options in defence, asserts Hansi Flick

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Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick has voiced his delight with his side's extra defensive choices going into a busy second half of the season. The coach also indicated that 16-year-old Bright Arrey-Mbi may have a part to play alongside new signing Alvaro Odriozola and the returning Lucas Hernandez.

Flick is extremely happy to have ample of option in defence before the demanding second half of the season begins. The Bavarians already signed the likes of Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard in the summer but injuries to Niklas Sule and Hernandez left Bayern depleted in defence. At their mid-season training camp in Qatar, Bright Arrey-Mbi, the youngest member of Bayern's squad, lauded senior teammates Joshua Kimmich and David Alaba, with the former describing him as "a beast." 

“I was really impressed with Bright. He did an excellent job, both in terms of his tackling and how he controlled the ball under pressure. I don't think you necessarily have to wait until a player turns 17 [for them to make their Bundesliga debut].”, said Flick to Bundesliga website.

Defensive injuries have been a source of concern for Bayern this season, even if they have limited the damage rather admirably with the unorthodox centre-back pairing of left-back Alaba and defensive midfielder Javi Martinez. There is hope for one of the long-term defensive absentees of the squad at the end of the tunnel. Although Niklas Sule will remain unavailable for several more months while he recovers from an injury to a cruciate ligament, 2018 FIFA World Cup winner Hernandez is making a comeback after being sidelined with ankle ligament damage for three months.

“Lucas is making good progress and has taken part in the training. Now we have to see how his ankle reacts to the full load. I'm very satisfied with how he's doing. It looked a bit different at the training camp, but now I have real options. And as long as the transfer window is open, a lot of things can still happen.”, said Flick.

“With Alvaro's signature, we have even more options. We wanted to bring in a full-back to have another option for the centre. He's an attack-minded defender who boasts speed and fine crossing ability. I'll give myself until the last minute to decide [who will play].”

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