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Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany is hopeful Harry Kane will be fit to feature at home against RB Leipzig on Friday night in their final match of 2024.
The England captain sustained a small muscle fibre tear in his right thigh during last month’s 1-1 draw at Borussia Dortmund and was not expected to play again until 2025.
But the 31-year-old returned to partial team training on Monday, and Kompany – who last week hinted Kane might return sooner – revealed he could be given the green light after their final session.
“I won’t say whether he’ll start or not,” Kompany said. “The final training session is still important today. If everything goes well, he’ll definitely play a part tomorrow.”
Kane is not the only injured Bayern player on the comeback trail.
Kompany said: “If things go as well on Friday as they did in training yesterday, we’re in good shape. It was good to have some players back in training: Alphonso Davies (and) Harry Kane were there, also Josip Stanisic, even if they might not feature in this game. It’s been a good week for us because we’ve been doing a lot of training on the pitch.”
The former Burnley boss admitted the absence of Kane – who this season has scored 19 goals and added six assists across Bundesliga and Champions League competitions – forces him to think differently.
“We said previously that we couldn’t replace Harry Kane like for like,” said Kompany.
“Harry has this incredible sense of where he needs to be in the box. He’s also helped us a lot in defence. He’s one of the best in the world in the box – that’s where he makes the difference. There aren’t many players who can do that.”
Bayern are looking to bounce back from Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Mainz, while Leipzig – fourth in the table and six points behind their opponents – will be eager to gain ground on the Bundesliga leaders.
Kompany added: “Leipzig’s individual and collective quality is right up there in the Bundesliga.
“The intensity in games like the ones against Stuttgart or Leverkusen was always very high and I expect the same tomorrow. They have players who are difference makers, but so do we.
“It’s very clear to me what we want to do. We’re playing at home and we want to win.”
Leipzig hope to close out the year on a high after defeating Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 on Sunday.
Leipzig boss Marco Rose was quick to underscore the impact a healthy Kane has on the Bayern side, with the former Tottenham striker having scored a league-leading 14 goals and provided five assists in the Bundesliga this term.
Rose said: “That’s what Kane gives you. He is just there at the right moments.
“Vincent Kompany has Bayern playing with real power and force. They are incisive with the ball and have immense individual quality. They can dominate opponents when they’re in possession.
“You see it straightaway when Kane is missing. When he’s back, he won’t need long to settle in again – that’s the mark of a world-class striker.”
