Gnabry's Comeback and Saibari's Pressure at Bayern Munich

Serge Gnabry is almost back. And at Bayern Munich, that usually means someone else is about to feel the heat.

The 31-year-old winger has stepped up his comeback under Vincent Kompany. After cautiously rejoining parts of team training last week, he has now completed full sessions with his team-mates at Säbener Straße and, by all accounts, looks sharp. The adductor injury that ruled him out since April – costing him the season run-in and the World Cup with Germany – is no longer the dominant topic. His return is.

According to Bild, Gnabry could already be in the squad for Thursday’s Champions League opener against Bodö/Glimt at the Allianz Arena. A starting place would still be a surprise at this stage, but the trajectory is clear: he is closing in fast.

And that is bad news for Ismael Saibari.

Saibari’s stuttering start

The Moroccan arrived from PSV Eindhoven in the summer for just under €55 million including bonuses, a statement signing for a Bayern side intent on refreshing their attacking options around Harry Kane. On paper, a versatile, creative midfielder. On the pitch, the audition has been mixed.

Kompany trusted him from the off. Saibari started both the 4-1 DFB Cup win against VfL Osnabrück and the goalless draw away at promoted Schalke 04. Both times, he was withdrawn after around half an hour. That kind of early substitution at Bayern is never a good sign.

His brightest moment came on the Bundesliga’s opening weekend, when he came off the bench in the 5-1 win over VfB Stuttgart and produced two goal involvements. Since then, though, no direct goal contribution, no sustained impact. The early excitement has given way to scrutiny.

And the criticism has arrived from a familiar voice.

Hamann’s harsh verdict

Dietmar Hamann, never shy of a strong opinion, has already put Saibari under the microscope on Sky. He called him a "wonderful footballer" – then immediately questioned whether he fits the pace and profile Bayern demand in attack.

"He is too slow," Hamann argued. "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."

The former Bayern midfielder does not buy the idea of Saibari as a multi-role asset. While the club see him as someone who can cover several attacking positions, Hamann sees a specialist.

"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 said in his analysis. And in that No 10 role, Hamann still rates Gnabry "a class better" than the new signing.

With Gnabry now closing in on full fitness, the battle lines are drawn. Saibari’s margin for error is shrinking by the day.

A familiar face in the middle

Bayern’s Champions League campaign begins on Thursday with a fixture that looks manageable on paper and comes with a small omen from last season. UEFA has appointed Slovenian referee Rade Obrenovic for the clash with Bodö/Glimt.

Obrenovic has overseen Bayern only once before – but it was a meaningful night. He took charge of last season’s 2-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise, a result that sent the German record champions into the round of 16.

That evening he awarded Bayern two penalties. Harry Kane converted one and missed the other. Obrenovic also showed Min-Jae Kim a second yellow card and sent him off. All three big calls were widely deemed correct.

So Bayern know what to expect: a referee who is not afraid to make big decisions on a big stage.

Now comes the real question around Kompany’s side: as Gnabry steps back into the spotlight and the Champions League anthem rings out again, who will still be standing in his way in a month’s time – and will Saibari be one of them?