A starting eleven comes too early for Sadio Mané in the Champions League spectacle against Paris Saint-Germain after a long injury break. But the former Liverpool star, who played twice as a substitute after his return, can also play a major role as a joker.
“It will also be important that we can bring players from the bench who can give impetus. If Sadio doesn’t play from the start, he can also be a decider from the bench,” said coach Julian Nagelsmann before the second leg on Wednesday ( 9 p.m./DAZN).
The 30-year-old Senegalese had to pause for more than three months after a tendon injury on the fibula head and subsequent surgery. That’s why Africa’s footballer of the year missed the World Cup in Qatar. Now he’s back. “He’s getting more and more rhythm,” said Nagelsmann. He gave the attacker around half an hour to play against Union Berlin and against VfB Stuttgart. “We are happy that Sadio is back.”
Mané came from Liverpool for around 30 million before the season. After Robert Lewandowski’s successor had shone at first, he then lost some of his momentum. The injury also stopped him. “I missed football. Now I’m better again,” he said after his comeback. “The feeling was just fantastic.”
In a game against the superstars Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, Mané would particularly like to demonstrate the qualities he and FC Bayern have. “Our current side have shown what they are capable of,” said Mané. “If you ask me, can we compete with all the teams? Absolutely! I don’t see a team that is bigger than Bayern or would be unbeatable.”
In the 2-1 draw against VfB Stuttgart, Mané recently came on as a substitute along with Leroy Sané and Serge Gnabry. The two German national players are also not expected in the starting line-up against PSG. The Bavarians are expecting more impetus from the recently much-criticized DFB duo than in the past.
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