The Bayern Munich left-back problem have resurfaced as Alphonso Davies’ injury has the Canadian sidelined again.
Even though Bayern Munich won 3-2 against Eintracht Frankfurt, thus widening the gap to their closest Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund to eight points, they paid a heavy price for it.
Alphonso Davies suffered a torn muscle fibre in his right hamstring, as the club announced last Sunday.
The injury has caused Bayern Munich left-back problems once more, as even though there are plenty of options to replace the Canadian international for the upcoming der Klassiker on Saturday and possibly beyond, none of them are natural left-backs.
The Bayern Munich Left-Back Problem: The Candidates To Replace Davies
The options to solve the Bayern Munich left-back problem include Josip Stanišić, who is versatile enough to play any position in the back-four, but feels most at home on the right flank of the backline.
Secondly, there is Konrad Laimer, a hard-working midfielder by trade, who mostly plays right-back himself for the club.
Hiroki Itō, a natural central defender, might also be given the task of replacing Davies against Dortmund.
Another option would be Tom Bischof, a young midfielder, who has played left-back quite often this season with varying success.
The former TSG Hoffenheim midfielder has struggled against strong opponents in the left-back position while Davies was recovering from his ACL injury.
It is also possible that coach Vincent Kompany will choose Raphaël Guerreiro to solve the Bayern Munich left-back problem for der Klassiker.
The Portuguese all-rounder can play that position, as well as left wing, holding midfield, and even the number 10 playmaker role, but he hasn’t been used much lately, apart from some short cameos off the bench.
Guerreiro’s contract expires at the end of the season, and no public decision has been made on his future.
However, maybe there is still some hope that the former Borussia Dortmund man could convince Kompany and the club’s front office that he can still be useful to Bayern for years to come.
Perhaps the Bayern Munich left-back problem could give him the chance he needs.
Even so, it seems more likely that Kompany will go with Itō for the Dortmund game, as he provides more defensive cover against such a strong opponent.
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The Bayern Munich Left-Back Problem: A Comfortable League Position
Bayern’s position in the Bundesliga is so strong that they can afford to even lose on Saturday and still have a comfortable five-point lead over their rivals.
The important thing is to see how the healing process of Alphonso Davies’ injury proceeds going forward, and if he’ll be out for a longer period of time.
There will be big knockout games in the UEFA Champions League and the DFB-Pokal coming up in the weeks and months ahead.
The Bayern Munich Left-Back Problem: Davies Injury Not The End Of The World
It may be the case that there is now no one left in the squad who is a completely natural fit for the position, but thinking back to 2019, it was the then Bayern coach Niko Kovač who put teenager Davies into the left-back position.
It did not save the current Dortmund coach’s Bayern job at the time, but Davies became the best left-back in the world, as the Bavarians won the Champions League with Hansi Flick later that season.
Beyond all of that, Bayern have played well for so long this term, largely without the services of Davies. While it is clearly preferable to have him in the team, having him potentially miss a few weeks will not be the end of the world either.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO/Ulrich Wagner
Recording Date: 21.02.2026
