Uncertainty hangs over Bayern Munich regarding the question on everyone’s mind at the moment: will Harry Kane be fit for the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid?
The 32-year-old England captain suffered ankle pain last Monday, between 17:30 and 18:00 German time, during the closed-door session of the Three Lions’ training, in an injury said to have occurred without any contact from another player.
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Since then, Kane has not taken part in any group training sessions. He was also absent from the squad list for the Bundesliga match against Freiburg (3-2) on Saturday.
However, the club is keeping the details of the injury under wraps, to the extent that they have not disclosed which foot the player is suffering from.
When the German newspaper "BILD" asked Max Eberl, Bayern’s sporting director, whether it was his right ankle that was injured, he replied with a smile: "That’s a tricky question right now… I don’t look at his feet, they both look swollen."
The journalist did not receive a clear answer when he tried again to ask whether Eberl knew exactly where the pain was.
Given the current situation, the club has not yet announced a precise diagnosis or the length of his absence. Coach Vincent Kompany also refused to give any further details when asked, leaving it unclear whether it is his right or left ankle that is injured.
Although Kane did not appear in public last Friday, those close to him are optimistic about his readiness for the Real Madrid clash, scheduled for next Tuesday at the Santiago Bernabéu, whilst "BILD" suggested that Bayern may be deliberately creating this significant ambiguity surrounding the injury for tactical reasons ahead of the big, eagerly anticipated clash.