After a long spell on the sidelines with Achilles tendon problems, Bayern Munich center back Min-Jae Kim is now working on his comeback. However, it is doubtful whether he will feature in the Club World Cup.
Jonathan Tah became the second national team player to introduce himself on Friday after Tom Bischof. He is expected to play immediately and lead the defense. With Josip Stanisic, only one other center back is truly fit. Dayot Upamecano is just returning from a lengthy injury (loose bodies in his knee). And Min-Jae Kim continues to struggle with Achilles tendon problems.
“Min-Jae is struggling a bit with his Achilles tendon, he’s been carrying the problem for a long time. It was reported that he was risking his health, but we weren’t at that point,” explained sporting director Max Eberl: “We had it under control. Now he says he wants to get completely healthy. He will start training in the next few days and join our squad.”
Participation in Club World Cup questionable
However, the South Korean is unlikely to return to action anytime soon. In other words, not in July. Whether he will be fit for the Club World Cup is highly questionable at this stage. He is feeling better, but for now he is using the time with the team to recover.
Getting fit is all that matters to him. What happens next remains to be seen, as his future has not yet been finalized. “With Upamecano, Min-Jae, and Jona, you have three, and with Stanisic and Hiroki Ito, you have four or five center backs,” says sporting director Eberl. “We are then very well positioned in terms of defense. And Min-Jae will just have to fight his way through. We will then have a competitive situation.”
Should a suitable offer come in, Kim could still become a concrete transfer candidate. There are reportedly some initial interested parties. It remains to be seen how and where Kim himself sees his future – once he is fully fit again. That is the most important thing right now.
