MUNICH — Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany has suggested that he will likely not field 16-year-old goalkeeper Leonard Prescott in the upcoming Champions League match against Atalanta, as backup keeper Jonas Urbig has returned to training following an injury crisis at the position.
Urbig, typically Bayern’s second-choice goalkeeper, suffered a concussion after an accidental collision with an opponent during last week’s first leg, which Bayern won 6-1. Other goalkeepers, Manuel Neuer and Sven Ulreich, are also dealing with injuries ahead of Wednesday’s second leg.
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Kompany stated that the decision regarding Urbig’s fitness will be strictly medical, affirming, “If everything is fine tomorrow morning and he continues to progress as he has, Urbig will be the starting goalkeeper. If not, we will find another solution.” He indicated that the backup option would be Prescott, who normally plays for the club’s under-19 team.
Prescott was on the bench during the Bundesliga match on Saturday when third-choice goalkeeper Ulreich suffered a torn adductor muscle. Another option being considered is Jannis Bärtl, a 19-year-old reserve player.
Bayern reported that Urbig trained with the team on Tuesday, while Neuer participated in a partial session as he continues to recover from a recurring calf injury. “It’s obviously encouraging to have Manu back and for Jonas to train normally,” Kompany noted.
The team has also been coping with injuries to left-back Alphonso Davies and forward Jamal Musiala since last week’s victory over Atalanta.
Bayern approaches this match following a 1-1 league draw with Bayer Leverkusen, where Nicolas Jackson and Luis Díaz both received red cards. Kompany emphasized that he does not want his team to hold back in the second leg against Atalanta, despite their significant 6-1 lead.
“It’s my responsibility to lead by example; we must demonstrate our commitment on the pitch,” Kompany said. “We know how crucial this match is, with 75,000 fans expecting us to deliver a strong performance. We need to maintain our work ethic and momentum.”
“While we want to enjoy our game, we have no reason to ease off. We are Bayern Munich, and we aim to build on our successes. The result against Leverkusen was promising, and we need to carry that forward,” he added.
“We cannot afford to approach this match casually. My confidence comes from our preseason performances against Lyon, Salzburg, and Tottenham. We treat every match seriously.”
The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report