What a relief! 'Kim Min-jae', who injured his knee, is cleared for the World Cup and will also play in the remaining matches of the season... German coach expresses relief: "It's good news"

*This content was translated by AI.

What a relief. It has been reported that the injury status of 'monster defender' Kim Min-jae (30, Bayern Munich), who suffered a knee injury, is not serious.

On the 12th (Korean time), German outlet Bavarian Football reported, "Defender Kim Min-jae is no longer under the shadow of injury fears," adding, "Munich shared good news regarding its injured list. Kim Min-jae, who was substituted at halftime due to a knee issue during last weekend's match against Wolfsburg, was confirmed via MRI scan to have no abnormalities, fortunately."

Previously, on the 10th, Kim Min-jae started in Bayern Munich's away match against Wolfsburg in the 33rd round of the German Bundesliga, contributing to the team's 1-0 victory. However, he was substituted for Dayot Upamecano right at the start of the second half. After the match, Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany stated that the substitution was made "to prevent Kim Min-jae from getting injured."

This was an especially regrettable moment, as Kim Min-jae had been showing excellent form prior to his injury. In the Wolfsburg match, Kim Min-jae recorded 65 ball touches, a 96% pass completion rate (53 successful passes out of 55 attempts), one tackle, two clearances, and two interceptions. He also won one ground duel and one aerial duel. At the time, media outlets expressed regret, noting, "Kim Min-jae showcased one of his best performances of the season before being substituted."

Kim Min-jae's injury was not welcome news for the South Korean national football team. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America just about a month away, a prolonged recovery period would leave insufficient time to monitor his fitness and match sharpness.

Fortunately, Kim Min-jae is expected to participate in the North American World Cup without any major injury issues. He is also highly likely to feature in Bayern Munich's remaining fixtures. Having already secured the Bundesliga title, Munich will play its final league match against FC Köln on the 16th. On the 24th, it will face Stuttgart in the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) final.

The media commented on Kim Min-jae's condition, stating, "This is very encouraging news for Munich. Leo Goretzka, who was substituted at halftime due to dizziness, and Kim Min-jae are expected to play in the remaining matches." It added, "Both Kim Min-jae and Goretzka are in good shape and are likely to feature in the matches against Köln and Stuttgart."

This season, Kim Min-jae has been relegated to a 'third option.' Manager Kompany has built his starting center-back pairing around Jonathan Tah and Dayot Upamecano for the season. However, after securing the Bundesliga title and being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, the club appears to be increasing playing time for other players, including Kim Min-jae and Hiroki Ito. Kim Min-jae could feature in both of the remaining two matches. Goretzka, who is linked with a move to Italian club AC Milan, is also expected to have time to say goodbye to Bayern Munich fans.

The media stated, "The remaining two matches will be Goretzka's final stage in a Munich jersey, but Kim Min-jae's future remains uncertain. While some reports suggest Munich may put Kim Min-jae on the transfer market, others claim that Kim Min-jae is currently satisfied with his role."

It further added, "Regardless of how the situation unfolds, Manager Kompany now has the opportunity to utilize as many options as possible in the final matches of the season. This is very fortunate."

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*This content was translated by AI.