While major championship celebrations weren’t in the cards for FC Bayern Munich, with too much at stake in the coming weeks, a piece of bad news cast a shadow over the players.
Joshua Kimmich, beaming after Bayern Munich’s 4-2 victory over VfB Stuttgart, which secured their 35th Bundesliga title, turned serious when asked about the team’s designated mood-maker. «Actually, Serge is responsible for the atmosphere,» he said.
But ‘Serge,’ meaning Serge Gnabry, was not only absent from the match against VfB due to an injury sustained in a bizarre and unfortunate training session on Saturday. The offensive player, suffering from an adductor tear, will likely miss the World Cup with Germany in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Before the game, coach Vincent Kompany recounted how Gnabry had an «extremely unlucky» injury during training: «It happened during a penalty shootout. It was really very, very unlucky and surprised us all. We wish him all the best. Serge has achieved an incredible amount for us this season,» Kompany stated.
Serge Gnabry’s World Cup Participation in Doubt
Bayern has lost not just a key player but also their morale booster. For Kimmich, he’s also lost his best and longest-serving friend on the team. «Of course, we miss him terribly, in the locker room, on the field. It’s a very, very big loss.» The team will miss Gnabry «as a player and as a person,» Kimmich added, expressing hope that they can somehow compensate for his absence.
It’s not entirely confirmed yet whether Gnabry will miss the end of the season with FC Bayern and the World Cup, but the prognosis is poor, as Bayern’s Sporting Director Max Eberl reported: «He’s resigned, but it’s tragic, of course. He’s 30, and I don’t know how much longer he’ll play, but this might be his last chance to participate in a World Cup,» he said.
President Herbert Hainer also thought of the injured player in the moment of triumph: «This is really bitter, and I’m incredibly sorry. I tried to call him today, but it didn’t work out. I understand if he doesn’t want to answer the phone. But we will certainly lift his spirits,» he stated.