When the internationals are travelling and the squad that stayed behind in Munich is reduced to a minimum, players like Marc Roca and Michael Cuisance come to the fore in the training sessions: However, they do not have a real perspective at FC Bayern.
The returning internationals still have Wednesday off, Alphonso Davies is the last star in action, he plays another World Cup qualifier with Canada on Thursday night. If Davies also survives his business trip uninjured, coach Julian Nagelsmann will be in a luxury situation. With the exception of Benjamin Pavard, who is once again serving a red card, and substitute goalkeeper Sven Ulreich (rehab), he will have all his players at his disposal. Also Kingsley Coman and Corentin Tolisso, who returned to team training during the internationals in Munich.
This means that there is not a place for all players in the 20-man matchday squad. First strike candidates most recently were Marco Roca and Michael Cuisance, whose prospects are unlikely to have improved in the past two weeks. Cuisance returned from his one-year, unsuccessful loan to Olympique Marseille in the summer, but a new club could not be found for the Frenchman (contract until 2024). The midfielder’s future at FC Bayern is already behind him, and the next attempt for a transfer will start in the winter.
Roca is a somewhat more differentiated case. The Spaniard wanted to make a new start under Nagelsmann in the summer, but then missed the entire preparation period with an injury. Now he has to line up in the midfield centre behind Kimmich, Goretzka, Sabitzer and Tolisso. It remains difficult for him as well, despite fine technique, positional play and speed of action are considered to be in need of improvement.
Things don’t look much better for Omar Richards and Bouna Sarr. Richards came on loan from English second division club FC Reading in the summer and has adjustment problems in defensive play. He is not the first alternative to Alphonso Davies at left back, as had been planned, and Nagelsmann is more likely to move Lucas Hernandez or prefer Josip Stanisic. The Croatian is also in front of Bouna Sarr on the right, who returns to Munich with the tailwind of his first two international caps for Senegal. Sarr gets short appearances from time to time and thus more than Roca and Cuisance. However, despite a contract until 2024, he does not have a real perspective either.
