Injured Vidal misses Bayern's Bundesliga showdown
BERLIN – Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal will miss his side's key clash with Borussia Dortmund on Saturday evening, after returning from international duty with a thigh injury.
Vidal, who appeared for Chile in a 0-0 draw with Denmark earlier in the week, faces a fight to regain fitness in time for Bayern’s Champions League quarter-final clash with Sevilla on Tuesday.
"He has a very strong contusion and haematoma in his thigh," said Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes on Friday. "The doctors advised me to leave him out of the team."
Bayern are set to reassess Vidal's condition on Sunday.
The Bundesliga champions in waiting will also be without Spanish full-back Juan Bernat, who has a light ankle injury, but Heynckes said that all other players are "fit and ready to play" on Saturday, with the exception of long term absentees Manuel Neuer and Kingsley Coman.
The Bayern coach said he would not let Tuesday’s clash with Sevilla inform his selection against Dortmund, saying his team "absolutely wanted to win" on Saturday.
Bayern could wrap up a sixth consecutive Bundesliga title on Saturday, if they beat Dortmund and Schalke drop points against Freiburg.
AFP