Concerns ahead of the clash with Real Madrid: FC Bayern Munich star is carrying an injury

It is not yet clear whether Laimer will be sidelined, or for how long – but it is certain that the 28-year-old had to watch from the sidelines for the full 90 minutes of Friday’s 5-1 victory over Germany, their World Cup opponents, due to knee problems.

“Konny trained normally yesterday and had no problems. But after training, he felt something in his knee. It was irritation, so we decided not to take any risks,” explained ÖFB coach Rangnick.

Laimer is still with the national team, who face South Korea in a friendly on Tuesday – though it remains to be seen whether he will feature. “We know what matches lie ahead for him. We don’t need to test Konny. We know exactly what he’s capable of,” said Rangnick.

Bayern also know exactly what they have in Laimer – the winger is one of the absolute key players in manager Vincent Kompany’s squad. Apart from minor injury problems, he is a regular starter for FCB.

But Laimer is also aware of his worth, which is why the contract extension Bayern are seeking beyond the summer of 2027 is proving more difficult than originally anticipated. As always, it comes down to money and the recognition that comes with it.

Following the international break, Bayern will first face SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga, before taking on Real Madrid in the two Champions League quarter-final matches on 7 and 15 April. A week later, Bayern will travel to Bayer Leverkusen for the DFB-Pokal semi-final.