The Japan Times - Injuries put undermanned Bayern's title bid to the test

Bayern are six points clear of defending champions Bayer Leverkusen with seven games remaining but a series of injuries to key players, particularly at the back, have the German giants limping toward the finish line.

Defender Hiroki Ito broke his foot for a second time this season on Saturday, joining a long-term injury list including left-back Alphonso Davies, centre-back Dayot Upamecano, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic and forward Kingsley Coman.

Ito, Davies and Upamecano are all expected to miss the remainder of the league season, leaving only Kim Min-jae, who is nursing an Achilles strain, and English veteran Eric Dier in central defence.

Raphael Guerreiro, who is more at home in midfield but is often deployed as a left-back, also missed training on Wednesday and is a doubt for the trip to their Bavarian rivals.

But Bayern striker Harry Kane backed his side's strength in depth going into the closing stages of the season.

"Three of our defenders go down within the space of five days... it's a pretty brutal one to take," Kane said in an interview with the Bundesliga website published Thursday.

"But that's when you lean on the team.... Everyone has to deal with injuries and setbacks. We've dealt with that well throughout the whole season and there's no time to stop now."

Bayern will need to get the job done against an Augsburg side in top form.

Augsburg have not lost in the league since mid-January, a run of 11 games, and have conceded just four goals in 12 games in 2025.

The hot streak has Augsburg three points off what would be just a second European qualification in their history.

Bayern's title rivals Leverkusen also suffered their own setback midweek.

Xabi Alonso's side were eliminated from the semi-finals of the German Cup by third-division Arminia Bielefeld.

Speaking after the match, Alonso told Sky: "Even in moments like this, we have to stay together -- that's important.

"We have to give everything in the Bundesliga. That's our competition now and our goal.

"It won't be easy, but we'll try."

Leverkusen captain Lukas Hradecky said his side could "throw the anger from this defeat into the Bundesliga".

Leverkusen play at Heidenheim a day after Bayern's trip to Augsburg.

Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund's outside chances of playing Champions League football next season will be put to the test at Freiburg.

Player to watch: Chrislain Matsima (Augsburg)

The 22-year-old Monaco loanee has played a key role in Augsburg's defensive stinginess this year as part of a back three alongside captain Jeffrey Gouweleeuw and Cedric Zesiger.

Matsima, a France under-21 international, will have a job on his hands dealing with Bayern's array of attacking riches.

But Matsima does have the advantage of having played alongside Munich's dangerous Michael Olise in France's Olympics squad, and will be hoping to put that inside knowledge to use to nullify the winger's threat.

Key stats

6 - Union Berlin are unbeaten in their past six home games against Wolfsburg. The Berliners have only lost once at home against the Wolves -- in a playoff to the second division in 1992.

4 - Augsburg have only let in four league goals in 2025 -- the lowest mark in Europe's top five leagues.

Fixtures (1330 GMT unless stated)

Friday

Augsburg v Bayern Munich (1830)

Saturday

Heidenheim v Bayer Leverkusen, Freiburg v Borussia Dortmund, Mainz v Holstein Kiel, RB Leipzig v Hoffenheim, Bochum v Stuttgart, Werder Bremen v Eintracht Frankfurt (1630)

Sunday

St Pauli v Borussia Moenchengladbach, Union Berlin v Wolfsburg (1530)

K.Yamaguchi--JT