Gnabry's Return Puts Saibari's Spot at Bayern in Jeopardy
Serge Gnabry is edging back into the Bayern Munich spotlight – and Ismael Saibari can feel the heat.
The 31-year-old winger, out since April with an adductor injury, has moved from rehab case to full-throttle option in a matter of days. After cautiously rejoining parts of team training last week, Gnabry has now completed all drills with his team-mates and, by all accounts, looks sharp. Not just fit. Ready.
On that basis, his competitive return is close. Very close.
According to Bild, Gnabry could already feature in the squad for Bayern’s Champions League opener on Thursday against Bodö/Glimt. A starting berth still seems a step too far for this week, but the direction of travel is clear – and it points straight at Saibari’s place in the XI.
Saibari under the microscope
Saibari arrived from PSV Eindhoven last summer with expectations to match his fee: just under €55 million including bonuses. Bayern did not buy him to be a rotation piece.
Vincent Kompany has given him trust early. The Moroccan started both the 4-1 DFB Cup win over VfL Osnabrück and the goalless draw away to promoted Schalke 04. But in both games he was hooked after around half an hour. That kind of pattern quickly becomes a storyline at a club of Bayern’s scale.
His Bundesliga debut brought promise. Coming off the bench in the 5-1 opening win against VfB Stuttgart, Saibari delivered two goal involvements and looked like a clever link between midfield and Harry Kane. Since then, though, the output has dried up. No direct goal contribution. More questions than answers.
And the criticism has arrived.
Former Bayern midfielder and now Sky pundit Dietmar Hamann did not hold back. He called Saibari a “wonderful footballer”, then immediately undercut the compliment: “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.”
For Hamann, the debate is not about talent but suitability.
One role, two contenders
Inside Bayern, Saibari is often praised for his versatility. Four positions, say the optimists. Hamann is having none of that.
“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,” he argued in his analysis. In the No 10 role, he sees Gnabry “a class better” than the new signing.
That is the crux. Kompany has to choose who connects the lines behind Kane, who drifts between the pockets, who presses from the front. If Gnabry, with his experience, movement and eye for goal, returns at full speed, Saibari’s margin for error shrinks dramatically.
Right now, the Moroccan is the man in possession of the shirt. But the clock is ticking, and the returning crowd favourite is closing in.
Familiar referee, familiar memories
Bayern’s new Champions League campaign begins at the Allianz Arena with a small but notable omen.
UEFA has appointed Slovenian referee Rade Obrenovic to take charge of the clash with Bodö/Glimt. Bayern know him – and they know what can happen when he is in the middle.
Obrenovic has overseen the German record champions only once so far. That night ended well for Bayern: a 2-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise last season, a result that sealed their passage into the round of 16.
The game was anything but dull from an officiating perspective. Obrenovic awarded Bayern two penalties. Harry Kane converted one and missed the other. Later, Min-Jae Kim saw red for a second yellow card. All three big calls stood up to scrutiny.
Bayern will happily take a repeat of the scoreline. The bigger question sits just behind Kane: when the Champions League anthem rings out and the season’s “big trophy” push begins in earnest, how long can Saibari keep Gnabry out of that central lane?
