Munich (Germany) (AFP) – Bayern Munich will have left-back David Alaba and midfielder Javi Martinez back from injury for Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final, second leg at Real Madrid.
The pair both took part in training on Sunday in Munich, but reports suggest that winger Arjen Robben will not recover in time to play at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Alaba is fit again after missing Wednesday’s 2-1 first-leg defeat with a thigh injury, while defensive midfielder Martinez has recovered after coming off with a head injury in the second half.
Austrian Alaba says he is “well on the way” and is expected to return at left-back in place of Rafinha, whose mistake led to Marco Asensio’s winning goal in the first game.
“You can see in the training sessions how focused and concentrated we are working,” said Alaba.
“The mood in the team is very, very good.
“In the dressing rooms, you can see how much we want it and we’ll put in 100 percent of what we have.”
Forwards Thomas Mueller, Robert Lewandowski and wingers Franck Ribery and James Rodriguez, who were all rested for Saturday’s 4-1 Bundesliga win against Eintracht Frankfurt, were also put through their paces.
However, magazine Kicker claims Robben will not travel to Madrid on Monday after injuring his groin at the Allianz Arena.
Alongside long-term injury victims Manuel Neuer, Kingsley Coman and Arturo Vidal, Bayern will also be without centre-back Jerome Boateng, who also damaged his groin against Real.
Club chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says the Bavarians will need their “best performance of the season” to win in Madrid and reach the Champions League final in Kiev on May 26.
“We are looking forward to the second leg, against the best team in the world which has won the Champions League three times since 2014,” said Rummenigge.
“Real are undoubtedly the benchmark in world football.
“If we want to realise our Kiev dream at the Bernabeu, we definitely need the best performance of the entire season.”
Tuesday is a national public holiday in Germany, however Rummenigge says it will be anything but for Bayern in Madrid.
“It will be guaranteed a day of work, and then hopefully a May public holiday,” he added.
