Kingsley Coman to have ankle surgery
August 25, 2018
Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman is to have surgery on his left ankle on Sunday and is out for extended period of time, Bayern's CEO Karl Heinz Rummenigge said on Saturday.
On Friday, Coman, 22, was forced to exit Bayern's first game of the season after injuring his ankle after a tackle from Hoffenheim defender Nico Schulz. It is the same injury that sidelined the French forward for four months last season and cost him a spot in France's World Cup-winning squad.
"He was in a lot of pain, you can imagine," Rummenigge said in an interview posted to the club's official website. "Now we all wish him a good and speedy recovery. He has our full support."
'Bitter news'
Coman has struggled with various injuries in recent seasons, missing 40 games over the previous two campaigns. He impressed head coach Niko Kovac so much in the preseason that he earned a spot in Bayern's starting lineup head of experienced winger Arjen Robben before his latest setback.
"Of course we are very sad that Kingsley has suffered the same injury as before," Kovac said after Bayern's training session on Saturday. "Fingers crossed that the operation goes well, so that he can come back quickly and can play Bundesliga football again."
"It's bitter news and obviously hurt a lot. I was shocked," said defender Joshua Kimmich, who was near Coman when the injury occurred. "King' had played really well up to that point."
Limited on the flanks
Coman's injury now leaves Bayern with just three wide players: veterans Robben and Franck Ribery and Serge Gnabry, who missed his side's season opener with a thigh issue.
But the door has opened for Robben, who started for the defending Bundesliga champions in the DFL Supercup and the first round of the German Cup, to return to the starting lineup. He said he was "hugely disappointed" that Kovac benched him against Hoffenheim.
"I wasn't happy, even if I am 34," the Dutchman said. "After seven weeks of hard preparation, and I really gave my all in preseason, you want to be there at the start."
dv/ (AFP,dpa)