Tuchel Reveals Sane's Fitness Update, Hints at Saka's Marker

In the buildup to the highly anticipated Champions League quarter-final second leg clash between Bayern Munich and Arsenal, Bayern head coach Thomas Tuchel provided an update on the fitness of key winger Leroy Sane while dropping hints about who could be tasked with marking Arsenal’s talisman Bukayo Saka.

Sane, who put in a stellar performance in the first leg at the Emirates Stadium before being forced off with an injury, is a major doubt for the return fixture in Munich. Tuchel revealed that the former Manchester City man is likely to miss Bayern’s Bundesliga clash against Koln this weekend as the club looks to wrap him in cotton wool ahead of the Arsenal clash.

“Leroy Sane’s body has had a reaction, which was to be expected. He’s likely out of tomorrow’s game,” Tuchel said. “It’s about how much pain he can tolerate. We geared everything towards him being able to play for Arsenal.”

Tuchel acknowledged the importance of Sane’s presence against Arsenal, stating, “He was an important factor there and played a great game. Since he showed a reaction, we’re focusing on him on Wednesday.”

The Bayern boss expressed his hopes for Sane to regain his scoring touch, admitting that the winger has slowed down after an outstanding start to the season. “It’s clear what assets and talent the boy has. But we’ve been waiting for him to score a competitive goal since October,” Tuchel said. “The expectations before the Arsenal first leg were huge and he delivered. We expect him to keep pushing himself, then he’ll be a key player for us.”

With Alphonso Davies suspended for the second leg, Tuchel also hinted at the potential options to mark Arsenal’s in-form winger Bukayo Saka. “We have a few options. We can either switch Raphael Guerreiro as a straight swap, but Noussair Mazraoui has also played there for Morocco,” he said.

Tuchel plans to give both Guerreiro and Mazraoui playing time against Koln to prepare them for the Arsenal clash. “I don’t know if either of them will be able to play 90 minutes against Köln, but we’ll give them both playing time to get them ready for Wednesday. There’s a big chance they start tomorrow because it makes sense with a view to Wednesday.”

The highly anticipated second leg between Bayern Munich and Arsenal promises to be a thrilling encounter, with both teams vying for a place in the Champions League semi-finals. Sane’s potential absence could be a significant blow for Bayern, while Arsenal will look to exploit any defensive weaknesses exposed by Tuchel’s selection choices.

As the two European giants prepare for battle, football fans around the world eagerly await the next chapter in this enthralling Champions League quarter-final tie.