Bayern Munich assistant coach Aaron Danks delivered encouraging injury news on Manuel Neuer and Michael Olise ahead of Tuesday's Champions League tie at Atletico Madrid. Danks confirmed both players travelled with the squad as Bayern target a place in the top eight.
Danks continues touchline duties in Kompany absence
Assistant coach Aaron Danks will once again lead Bayern Munich from the touchline for Tuesday's Champions League fixture against Atletico Madrid. Danks continues to deputise for head coach Vincent Kompany, who remains absent due to illness.
Bayern sit 14th in the Champions League league table with five points from their opening three fixtures.
The Bavarian club aim to secure victory in Madrid to climb toward automatic qualification spots.
Danks confirms double boost as Neuer and Olise travel
Speaking ahead of the match, Danks revealed positive developments regarding squad availability. "There’s good news: [Olise] joined us this morning, as did Manuel Neuer," Danks announced.
"We’ve had a quick chat with them to see how they’re getting on. Things are looking good, and we’ll see tomorrow whether they’re ready."
However, Bayern remain without Jamal Musiala, Luis Diaz, Serge Gnabry, Ismael Saibari, and Bara Ndiaye through injury.
Tactical identity remains unchanged despite absentees
Danks reinforced that Bayern's attacking philosophy will not alter under his temporary leadership. "The team’s identity won’t change under me; the decisions are now in my hands," Danks asserted.
"We want to play attacking football, we want to have the ball and make the most of our chances."
"We need to hold our heads high, stick out our chest and simply rise to the challenge... Finishing in the top eight – that’s our goal," he added.
Bavarians push for direct round-of-16 spot
Bayern target a clinical attacking performance to overcome their recent defensive struggles on European nights.
Danks will make late selection calls on Neuer and Olise prior to kick-off at the Metropolitano.
Bayern turn their focus to securing three crucial away points in Madrid.
A sports journalist with nearly a decade of experience, beginning the professional journey at Indonesia's legendary Tabloid BOLA from 2017 until its final print edition in December 2018. Following that, joining GOAL, contributing as a freelance writer for FIFA, and working within the media department of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). Alongside the journalism career, also active as a live play-by-play commentator for Indonesian football since 2017. Holds a bachelor's degree in History from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung.
Football Story
Footballing identity built on geography, heritage, and childhood obsession. Although the father played for a traditional rival club, nine years living in Bandung made Persib a spiritual home, sparked in 2006 by Thai goalkeeper Kosin Hathairattanakool and witnessing firsthand how deeply locals own the club. Globally, the first true love was Ronaldo and Inter Milan, enduring the heartbreak of near-misses during injury-plagued years. With Dutch roots in Rotterdam, making Feyenoord the club of choice, the Netherlands national team has always remained close to the heart, highlighted by the 2010 World Cup final, a live 2013 friendly against Indonesia, and Oranje Indonesia watch parties. Arjen Robben and Giovanni van Bronckhorst remain ultimate favorites, while Football Manager 2005 sparked a lasting admiration for Athletic Bilbao’s philosophy. Outside football, allegiance lies with the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors through icons like Michael Jordan, Derrick Rose, and Stephen Curry.
Areas of Expertise
Areas of expertise span Indonesian football and Liga 1 data insights and unique features, alongside Southeast Asian and East Asian football landscapes covering Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea. Additional skills include digital and social media video content creation such as Instagram reels and podcasts, as well as player profiling, feature writing, live broadcasting, interviewing, photography, and multilingual communication in basic français and español .
Favourite Footballing Memory
Combining a passion for backpacking with professional assignments has made it possible to pursue two goals simultaneously. Meeting and interviewing various Indonesian players pursuing careers or currently based abroad, ranging from across Southeast Asia to Europe, has been an absolute privilege and honor. Traveling independently through the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, and Japan to track down and connect with Indonesian players competing abroad remains a truly cherished experience. Crafting interview content with them is a body of work that will always hold a special place in memory.
My All-Time XI
It’s tough to lock down a definitive starting XI, but the non-negotiables are Manuel Neuer or Rogério Ceni in goal; alongside Javier Zanetti, Sergio Ramos, N'Golo Kanté, Toni Kroos, Arjen Robben, Mo Salah, and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Juan Román Riquelme or Michael Laudrup most likely complete the tactical puzzle. While legends like Lothar Matthäus, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldo are impossible to overlook, they were left out simply because they feature in everyone else's lineup.
