Champions League
Breaking: Bayern Without Javi Martinez Against Real Madrid
Madrid, Spain – Bayern Munich will be without midfielder Javi Martinez against Real Madrid due to injury sustained in first leg.
The 29-year-old did not pass the last medical test that sees him unfit to start the match. However, he will be on the bench with the rest of the team. Bayern’s coach Jupp Heynckes will have to play his cards, but it all points at Sebastian Rudy or Corentin Tolisso.
Martinez took a strong blow that caused a contusion in the skull for which he was taken off the pitch at Allianz. He was not able to participate in Bayern’s match against Frankfurt for Bundesliga. Although everything pointed at him started, he was not fit enough to start the match.
In addition to Martinez, Menuel Neuer, Jerome Boateng, Arturo Vidal, Arjen Robben and Kingsley Coman will not play against Madrid.
On Monday, Heynckes implored that match referee Cuneyt Cakir stays in line and does not commit errors. Errors that have seen Madrid win over their matches.
“I hope the referee is objective and that the players are the ones who decide the game,” he said to reporters at his pre-match press conference.
The referee will probably be the last concern on Heynckes’ mind with several hours to the start of the match.
