Gnabry Set for Bayern Munich Return

Serge Gnabry is back in Bayern Munich’s sights. And this time, it looks like more than just a cautious test run.

After months on the sidelines with an adductor injury, the 31-year-old has stepped fully into team training under Vincent Kompany. Last week he was eased back in; at the start of this week he went through every drill, sharp and clean. The rhythm is returning. So is the competition.

Gnabry has not played since April. He missed Bayern’s tense run-in at the end of last season and watched the World Cup with the German national team from afar. Now, according to Bild, he could already be an option for the squad for Thursday’s Champions League opener against Bodö/Glimt at the Allianz Arena.

A place in the starting XI would still be a surprise. But only for now. The pressure his return creates is very real – and has a clear first target: Ismael Saibari.

Saibari’s shaky start

Saibari arrived from PSV Eindhoven in the summer, with a price tag that underlined Bayern’s belief in him: just under €55 million including bonuses. Big outlay, big expectations.

Kompany trusted him early. The Moroccan started both the 4-1 DFB Cup win over VfL Osnabrück and the goalless draw away to newly promoted Schalke 04. Both times, he was withdrawn after around half an hour. That is not the pattern of an untouchable regular.

His debut in the Bundesliga, though, hinted at what he can bring. Coming off the bench in the 5-1 win against VfB Stuttgart, Saibari managed two goal involvements and looked like a player who could slot into several attacking roles around Harry Kane.

Since then, the output has dried up. No direct goal contribution in the following games, no decisive moments to silence doubts. The criticism has followed quickly.

Dietmar Hamann, former Bayern midfielder and now Sky expert, did not hold back. He called Saibari a “wonderful footballer”, but then twisted the knife: “He is too slow. He's not just not quick, he's like a poor Kane. Kane is not the quickest and now his back-up is not the quickest either.”

Hamann expects the battle for minutes to hit Saibari hard once Gnabry is fully back in the frame. The club may see the new signing as a flexible option, but Hamann disagrees sharply: “They say Saibari can play four positions – I say he can play exactly one position: that is behind Kane, because out wide he is too slow.” And in that No 10 role, he ranks “Serge Gnabry a class better” than the Moroccan.

For Saibari, the message is brutal and simple: improve quickly or slide down the pecking order.

Familiar referee, familiar memories

While Kompany juggles his attacking puzzle, UEFA has confirmed the man in charge for Bayern’s first European night of the season. Rade Obrenovic will referee the clash with Bodö/Glimt – and Bayern know him well enough to expect a lively evening.

The Slovenian official has overseen the German record champions only once before. Last season he took charge of their 2-0 win against Union Saint-Gilloise, a result that pushed Bayern into the Champions League round of 16.

That match had everything for a referee: two penalties for Bayern, one converted by Harry Kane, one missed, plus a second yellow card and sending-off for Min-Jae Kim. Every major call stood up to scrutiny.

So Bayern step into Thursday night with a referee who has already shown he is not afraid to make big decisions on the big stage.

With Gnabry closing in, Saibari under the microscope, and the Champions League lights about to come on, the margin for error in Munich is shrinking fast.