Aston Villa could face an even more depleted Bayern Munich side after Joshua Kimmich and Bara Sapoko Ndiaye missed the German champions’ final training session before Friday’s friendly in Hong Kong.
Kimmich is managing a slight adductor problem, while Ndiaye has suffered a knock to his knee. Bavarian Football Works reports that both players sat out Bayern’s last session before facing Unai Emery’s side.
Neither issue is believed to be serious. However, with the Bundesliga season approaching, Vincent Kompany has little reason to take unnecessary risks in a pre-season fixture.
Aston Villa vs Bayern Munich team news changes again
Kimmich had previously been among the senior Bayern players expected to feature at Kai Tak Stadium.
That picture has now changed. ReadAstonVilla reported on Wednesday that Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Dayot Upamecano are not expected to play after receiving additional time off following the World Cup.
Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry have also yet to rejoin the group, while Alphonso Davies and Ismael Saibari remained in Munich to continue their fitness work.
Bayern should still field an experienced side, but potentially losing Kimmich would remove another major figure from Kompany’s midfield. The Germany international remains central to how Bayern control possession and build from deeper areas.
Villa have their own selection issues to manage. John McGinn has been recovering from the knee problem he suffered against BG Pathum United, while several players returned late following World Cup involvement.
Emery will nevertheless want a competitive final game on Villa’s Asian tour.
Friday’s meeting is Villa’s last fixture before attention turns towards Paris Saint-Germain and the UEFA Super Cup on 12 August. Even with Bayern missing several established names, it should provide another useful measure of where Emery’s rebuilt squad stands before competitive football returns.
